Sailem, Tiffany C

Tenure Summary

GPS records attribute 24 deaths at Johnson State Prison to Sailem’s facility-leader tenure; all 24 are recorded at Johnson State Prison. One federal lawsuit naming Sailem as a defendant remains pending. GPS event records and state settlement ledgers also document major Johnson State Prison cases, including a $4 million settlement in the David Henegar death case.

What happened on their watch

Early Johnson State Prison postings (2006, 2015)

Lieutenant and Unit Manager postings (2016–2024)

Deputy Warden of Security — Johnson State Prison (April 2025–present)

• Paul Russell Brewster, 48, died June 9, 2025; a prisoner-report note lists “Homocide,” per GPS provenance notes.
• Michael Elias Peschel, 36, died March 14, 2026; GPS records state he sustained 20 stab wounds from a cellmate who had previously confronted officers during visitation and should have been housed alone.
• Phillip Lamar Byrd, 46, died January 18, 2026; a prisoner report relayed on Telegram alleges he was beaten by gang members, locked outside in the cold, and injected with drugs until he overdosed. GPS records classify this as a prisoner report, not an official GDC cause.
• Martrese Jamon McKay, 30, died April 18, 2026; initial reports suggested suicide, but a later account described a sudden collapse, and GPS records list the cause as unclear.
• Ernest Perez, 61, died June 23, 2026; GPS notes a date discrepancy with the GDC June 2026 monthly mortality report, which confirms the death but not the cause.

During this same tenure, GPS event records document April 2026 reports of contaminated food trays and illnesses among incarcerated people at Johnson State Prison, attributed in source reports to degraded dishwashing infrastructure. In April 2026, the state finalized a $4 million settlement in the David Henegar death case. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting describes allegations that Henegar was beaten and choked over hours by a cellmate while neighboring prisoners called for help and officers did not intervene; the underlying death occurred October 16, 2021. Also during this period, GDC held a July 21, 2026 ribbon-cutting for a new Medical Intensive Infirmary at Johnson State Prison.

Litigation

• Wade v. Morgan, No. 3:23-cv-00073, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia (abbreviated GASD in the record), filed August 31, 2023; status listed as pending. GPS records list Sailem as a defendant.
• GPS event records also document the David Lamar Henegar family lawsuit, filed January 21, 2025, alleging prison staff failed to protect Henegar; Georgia settled that case for $4 million in April 2026, and Antone Hinton-Leonard was charged with murder and awaiting trial. The provided lawsuit-as-defendant list does not name Sailem in that matter.

Sources

• GPS personnel, mortality, intel, and event records
• Georgia Department of Corrections June 2026 monthly mortality report, cited in GPS records for the Ernest Perez death date
• Georgia Department of Administrative Services Risk Management settlement ledger, obtained via Open Records
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia prison homicide list and April 2026 settlement coverage
• CourtListener docket for Wade v. Morgan
• Tyler C. Ryals YouTube channel, cited in GPS intel records on Johnson State Prison conditions

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Aug 30, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.