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Messer, ADA Y
Status: active
Profile written May 31, 2026
This profile reflects positional accountability — this individual held the leadership roles shown during the dates shown, during which the listed deaths or lawsuits occurred. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding of personal culpability for any specific incident.
Tenure Summary
ADA Y. Messer began working for the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2015 as a purchasing and procurement specialist, holding non‑leadership administrative roles through 2017. In January 2018, Messer assumed the post of Deputy Warden at Johnson State Prison, a facility‑deputy leadership position, and has remained in that role through at least the end of 2025. GPS records attribute 87 custodial deaths to Johnson State Prison during Messer’s time as Deputy Warden. Among those deaths, several have been the subject of homicide investigations by the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution, and one—the killing of David Lamar Henegar—led to a federal lawsuit and a $4 million settlement paid by the state in 2026.What happened on their watch
Johnson State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2018–present)
According to GPS records, 87 people died in the custody of Johnson State Prison while Messer served as Deputy Warden. The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution’s investigation into Georgia prison homicides identified multiple violent deaths during this period: Jerry L. Brown (November 2020, stab wounds to the head and blunt force injury to the face), David Lamar Henegar (October 2021, manual strangulation and blunt force trauma after a prolonged beating by his cellmate), Donald Prescott Lee (November 2023, blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and torso), Michael Todd Page (June 2023, homicide), and Kenneth Adam Robinson (August 2024, homicide). The death of Henegar drew extensive scrutiny. The AJC reports that Henegar was beaten, choked, and stomped by his cellmate Antone Hinton‑Leonard over roughly five hours while other prisoners screamed for help, yet staff did not intervene. A lawsuit filed by Henegar’s family alleges that officers were aware the attacker had mental‑health issues and had previously assaulted Henegar, that prison officials ignored repeated warnings, and that Henegar was kept past his scheduled release date because of an administrative delay, exposing him to the fatal assault. In April 2026, the state settled the family’s claims for $4 million, and Hinton‑Leonard faces a murder charge. Beyond homicides, many deaths during Messer’s tenure are classified with GPS cause‑category “6” (consistent with natural or undetermined causes), often involving older incarcerated men, such as 91‑year‑old Richard Charles Bishop in December 2024 and 86‑year‑old Larry Sherall Richards in July 2025.Broader safety failures also surfaced. In December 2023, Johnson State Prison failed a state food‑safety inspection with a score of 64 out of 100; inspectors documented rats, roaches, and broken kitchen equipment. In April 2026, multiple incident reports to GPS described contaminated food trays—linked to a failed dishwashing system—that were making incarcerated people ill. During the same period, GPS intelligence records cite an allegation that the death of Phillip Lamar Byrd in January 2026, initially reported as a suicide, may have instead involved gang violence and a forced overdose, though that account remains unverified outside of Telegram reports from inside the facility.
Litigation
- Wade v. Morgan, No. 3:23‑cv‑00073 (S.D. Ga., filed Aug. 31, 2023) – pending. A civil rights lawsuit filed by Betty Wade and David Jacob Henegar against three corrections officers and a prison manager. Messer is a named defendant. The case stems from the 2021 killing of David Lamar Henegar and alleges deliberate indifference to his safety. The state settled the family’s claims in early 2026 for $4 million, but the court docket remains open as of the latest available data.
- In Re Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20‑md‑02974 (N.D. Ga., filed Dec. 16, 2020) – pending. A multidistrict product‑liability proceeding. Messer is listed as a defendant, though the litigation is unrelated to the Georgia Department of Corrections and no further details connect it to Messer’s correctional duties.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution – investigation of Georgia prison homicides, reports on the David Henegar killing, and the $4 million settlement.
- Georgia Prisoners’ Speak – death records (including decedent names, dates, and cause‑category data), incident reports on food‑tray contamination and food‑safety inspection failures, and intelligence relay summaries.
- CourtListener – dockets for Wade v. Morgan (S.D. Ga.) and In Re Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation (N.D. Ga.).
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | JOHNSON STATE PRISON | 2018-01-01 → present |
| PURCHASE/PROCUREMENT AGENT 2 | 2016-01-01 → 2017-12-31 | |
| PURCH & PROC SPEC (AL) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:23-cv-00073 | GASD | 2023-08-31 | pending |
| 1:20-md-02974 | GAND | 2020-12-16 | pending |
Deaths attributed during tenure
87 people died at facilities under Messer, ADA Y's leadership.
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