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Odum, ROY Matthew
Status: active
Profile written August 2, 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’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections spanned nearly two decades, progressing from correctional officer to warden. After early postings at Smith State Prison and Rogers State Prison, he held supervisory roles at Georgia State Prison before becoming deputy warden of Ware State Prison in 2019. He was promoted to warden of Ware in 2021, a post he held through 2023. In October 2024, Odum transferred to Valdosta State Prison as warden. During his leadership tenures — as deputy warden and warden — GPS records attribute 57 in-custody deaths to his facilities: 47 at Ware State Prison (2019–2023) and 10 at Valdosta State Prison (October 2024–July 2025). Two federal civil-rights lawsuits, Brown v. Odum and Jackson v. Odum, were filed against him in 2025 in connection with his time at Valdosta; both remain pending.What happened on their watch
Ware State Prison (Deputy Warden, 2019–2020; Warden, 2021–2023)
During Odum’s four years as deputy warden and then warden at Ware State Prison, 47 deaths were recorded. Coroner and GBI records analyzed by GPS show a pattern of violent fatalities and contraband-related overdoses. Homicides included the stabbing of Kyle Strother (2022) and Vadarian Carr (2022), the strangulation of Christopher Rawls (2020) and Robert Scott (2021), and the blunt-force killing of Alfonso Moore (2023). Several suicides by hanging occurred, including Kaleb Roberts (2022) and Trevanti Givens (2023). At least five deaths were ruled accidental methamphetamine toxicity, such as Dontavius Mintz (2021) and Brian Dukes (2022), indicating the presence of illicit drugs inside the prison. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that ten inmates were killed at Ware between July 2020 and August 2024, with multiple inmates involved in several homicides, according to GDC incident reports. Odum was warden during the 2023 homicides of Thomas McCoy (stabbed) and Christopher Gresham (assaulted by multiple inmates), both confirmed by the Ware County Coroner’s Office.
Valdosta State Prison (Warden, October 2024–July 2025)
Odum became warden of Valdosta State Prison on October 16, 2024. GPS records attribute 10 deaths to his tenure there. The first recorded death, Antonio Anderson, occurred on December 3, 2024; the cause is undetermined in available records. In January 2025, Sinjuan Harmon was killed by strangulation — the official GDC January 2025 mortality report, the only month the department released cause-of-death data, lists the manner as homicide. A wave of fatalities followed in March and April 2025: Ryan Rumph (homicide, found dead in his cell), Chet Elliott (died in segregation), Brandon McGee (homicide, body sent to the GBI crime lab), and Anthony Prothro (suicide by hanging, confirmed by GBI autopsy). Jason Jordan died on June 1, 2025, cause undetermined. News reports documented a major contraband scandal: in May 2025, seven people — including an inmate directing the operation from Valdosta — were indicted for a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking ring that allegedly used contraband cellphones; law enforcement seized 35 kilograms of meth and thousands of dollars. Earlier, in April 2025, advocates alleged that prisoners were held in caged housing without toilet access and that gangs controlled food distribution, extorting inmates. A state settlement of $2,000 was paid in 2025 to Valdosta prisoner Kenneth Greene Jr. for an incident at the facility.
Litigation
- Brown v. Odum, Case No. 5:25-cv-00062 (S.D. Ga., filed June 30, 2025). Pending; no disposition yet.
- Jackson v. Odum, Case No. 5:25-cv-00051 (S.D. Ga., filed June 9, 2025). Pending; no disposition yet.
Sources
- Ware County Coroner / GBI DOFS records — open-records responses analyzed by GPS, providing causes and manners for deaths at Ware State Prison during Odum’s tenure.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — reporting on ten homicides at Ware State Prison (2020–2024), contraband trafficking at Valdosta State Prison, and conditions inside Georgia prisons.
- WALB / WTXL — coverage of homicides and the coroner’s criticism of discovery delays at Valdosta State Prison.
- Yahoo.com — federal indictment of drug trafficking ring directed from Valdosta State Prison.
- GDC January 2025 mortality report — official cause of death for Sinjuan Harmon.
- GBI Medical Examiner’s Office — autopsy reports for Anthony Prothro and others.
- Georgia DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger — $2,000 payout for an incident at Valdosta State Prison.
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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