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Odum, ROY Matthew
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
Roy Matthew Odum rose through the Georgia Department of Corrections from correctional officer to warden over nearly two decades. After early assignments at Smith State Prison and Rogers State Prison, and a stretch as a unit manager at Georgia State Prison, he became deputy warden of Ware State Prison in 2019. He was promoted to warden of that facility from 2021 until October 2024, then transferred to Valdosta State Prison as warden until mid‑2025. GPS records document 57 deaths during his leadership‑accountability tenures — 47 at Ware State Prison and 10 at Valdosta State Prison. Two federal civil‑rights lawsuits, filed in June 2025, name Odum as a defendant.What happened on their watch
Ware State Prison (deputy warden 2019–2020; warden 2021 – Oct. 2024)
According to GPS data, 47 people died at Ware during Odum’s tenure as deputy warden and later warden. The deaths spanned a mix of causes; a sample documented by GPS includes seven homicides investigated by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Christopher Rawls (strangulation, Sept. 2020), Robert Lee Wilson (multiple stab wounds, July 2020), Christopher Eli Gresham (stab wounds, Sept. 2021), Kyle Anthony Strother (stab wound, June 2022), Vadarian Laviana Carr (stab wound, Sept. 2022), Alfonso Marquez Moore (blunt impact head injuries, June 2023), and Thomas Jerome McCoy (stab wound, Oct. 2023). The remaining deaths are categorised by GPS under cause‑category 6, which frequently indicates natural or undetermined manners.In August 2020, while Odum was deputy warden, a major disturbance erupted at Ware. Internal GDC records, later made public by the AJC, described the event as involving hostage‑taking, escape attempts, assaults, and use of force, though the department’s public account called it only a “disturbance.” The AJC also reported that ten inmates were killed at Ware State Prison between July 2020 and August 2024, with multiple inmates involved in several of the homicides according to GDC incident reports.
Valdosta State Prison (warden Oct. 16, 2024 – July 15, 2025)
GPS records attribute 10 deaths to Odum’s tenure at Valdosta State Prison. The deaths occurred during a period of documented systemic turmoil at the facility. Among the decedents:- On Dec. 3, 2024, Billy W. Chaney (68) and Antonio D. Anderson (49) died; both are listed in category 6.
- On Dec. 31, 2024, Matthew Dane Jackson (37) died (category 6).
- On Jan. 12, 2025, Sinjuan Harmon was killed by strangulation; WALB reported the homicide.
- Ryan Cornelius Rumph, 34, was found dead in his cell on Mar. 11, 2025. GPS Research notes the body was sent to the GBI Crime Lab, and the Valdosta coroner told WTXL that “Valdosta State Prison needs help.”
- Chet Elliott Kent, 45, died on Mar. 16, 2025, “in the hole,” per GPS notes.
- On Apr. 2, 2025, Brandon Dominique McGee, 33, was found dead; GPS Research reports the death as a homicide, citing WALB.
- Anthony Vashern Prothro, 34, died by suicide on Apr. 7, 2025.
- Jason Frank Jordan, 45, died June 1, 2025 (category 6).
The short‑term count of violence echoes broader conditions at Valdosta documented by the AJC. Before Odum’s arrival, the facility had seen a series of homicides — including the beating death of Shane Griffith in May 2024 and stabbing deaths of Ricky Harris and Melvin Towns — and its prior warden was fired for misconduct. Operation Skyhawk, a contraband investigation, revealed that at least six officers were smuggling drugs and cellphones for an inmate, and a murder‑for‑hire plot was foiled through wiretaps. Allegations of gang control of the kitchen and extortion of food items surfaced in April 2025. Odum inherited those conditions, and the 10 deaths occurred during the first nine months of his wardenship.
Litigation
- Brown v. Odum, No. 5:25‑cv‑00062 (S.D. Ga.), filed June 30, 2025 — pending.
- Jackson v. Odum, No. 5:25‑cv‑00051 (S.D. Ga.), filed June 9, 2025 — pending.
Sources
- GPS records (death totals by facility, sample of decedents, personnel positions)
- Atlanta Journal‑Constitution — “Ga. prison homicides: a list of those killed in Georgia’s prison system” (homicide details and Ware State Prison incident reporting); Operation Skyhawk contraband investigation; series on prison corruption and violence at Valdosta State Prison and Ware State Prison
- WALB — reporting on Sinjuan Harmon homicide and Brandon McGee death at Valdosta
- WTXL — coroner’s statement following Ryan Rumph death
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia — dockets for Brown v. Odum and Jackson v. Odum via CourtListener
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| CORRECTIONAL SR. MGR | 2025-01-01 → present | |
| Warden | VALDOSTA STATE PRISON | 2024-10-16 → 2025-07-15 |
| WARDEN 3 | 2024-01-01 → 2024-10-15 | |
| WARDEN 3 | WARE STATE PRISON | 2021-01-01 → 2023-12-31 |
| DEPUTY WARDEN | WARE STATE PRISON | 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31 |
| CSM CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER | GEORGIA STATE PRISON | 2018-01-01 → 2018-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | GEORGIA STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → 2017-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 |
| CORRECTIONS OFFICER (SP) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 | |
| Lieutenant | ROGERS STATE PRISON | 2011-01-01 → 2011-12-31 |
| Correctional Officer | SMITH STATE PRISON | 2007-01-01 → 2007-12-31 |
Lawsuits as defendant
| Case # | Court | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:25-cv-00062 | GASD | 2025-06-30 | pending |
| 5:25-cv-00051 | GASD | 2025-06-09 | pending |
Deaths attributed during tenure
57 people died at facilities under Odum, ROY Matthew's leadership.
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