Sampson, Gregory L

Tenure Summary

What happened on their watch

Dooly State Prison (2023–2024)
As Warden 1, Sampson presided over 21 deaths, including multiple homicides. According to the AJC, Dimitri Merci Jackson, 36, died from a stab wound to the chest; Chad Taylor Roadifer, 45, succumbed to delayed complications of blunt head trauma; and Brian Lee Wainwright, 59, was killed by homicide. GPS records further show that Zeary Davante Davis, 31, bled to death on the dormitory floor in a homicide witnessed by other prisoners. A coroner told the AJC that another decedent, Carlos Omar Soldiew-Acosta, may have been dead for more than 24 hours before his body was found. Allegations surfaced that medical neglect contributed to deaths, as in the case of James Yarbrough, who families claimed died of diabetic ketoacidosis after months of insufficient care, per the AJC. By the end of Sampson’s posting, the facility was operating at 212% of its design capacity with a statewide correctional officer vacancy rate near 50%, a staffing collapse that later left housing units unsupervised for entire shifts, as GPS intelligence events later documented.

Macon State Prison (February 2025 – January 15, 2026)
Sampson’s tenure as warden at Macon State Prison saw the highest toll: 23 deaths. Five were homicides, including Marquel Smith (29, killed in February), D’Andrius Brown (30, stabbed “in the hole” in March), Lukas Lance Way (32, homicide in the hole in June), Sanchez Jackson (48, killed in a reported gang attack in June), Pierre Cedric Scott (41, killed by his cellmate in August), Xavier Anthony Adams (40, July homicide), and Marquis Young (37, October homicide). Two men died by suicide: Cassiem Mahlon Johnson (55) and Calvin Earl Noble (25). The AJC reported that the warden gave Jackson’s family only a brief call and never followed up. Macon State Prison was critically understaffed, with the coroner reporting only five to eight officers present during death responses, and about two-thirds of correctional officer jobs vacant as of October 2024—conditions the AJC said allowed gangs to run tiers, locks were broken, and violence flourished. During this period, Banks v. Sampson, a federal lawsuit, was filed in May 2025; it remains pending. Intake records also detail a drug trafficking ring coordinated from Macon by Devito Duran Young, who later pleaded guilty.

Metro Reentry Facility (January 2025 and from January 16, 2026)
Sampson’s brief first stint as Warden 3 in January 2025 saw no recorded deaths. After returning as warden in mid‑January 2026, three men died of apparent natural or medical causes: Donald Woods (65) on January 31, Samuel Dennis Hunt (64) on March 1, and Cedric Clement Pierce (61) on April 13. A separate incident — the death of Silas Westbrook shortly after his transfer from a Washington State Prison riot — occurred the day after Sampson resumed command; GPS records do not attribute that death to Metro Reentry.

Litigation

• Banks v. Sampson, No. 1:25-cv-02981 (N.D. Ga., filed May 30, 2025) — pending. Filed during Sampson’s wardenship of Macon State Prison.
• Mcneal v. Sampson, No. 5:26-cv-00039 (M.D. Ga., filed Jan. 27, 2026) — pending. Filed shortly after Sampson moved from Macon to Metro Reentry.
• Fox v. Weeks Marine Inc., No. 4:22-cv-00054 (S.D. Ga., filed Mar. 7, 2022, terminated Oct. 3, 2022) — a non‑prison civil case in which Sampson was named as a defendant.

Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — multiple homicide reports during Sampson’s tenure at Central State Prison, Dooly State Prison, and Macon State Prison; DOJ investigation findings; understaffing and violence coverage; family accounts of poor communication after deaths.
• 13WMAZ — reports on inmate drug‑trafficking operation at Macon State Prison, altercations and staff misconduct at Central State Prison, gang‑related fights at Dooly.
• WGXA — coverage of officer cadet methamphetamine smuggling at Dooly State Prison (post‑tenure incident).
• WALB — inmate fraud scheme operated from Dooly State Prison.
• Georgia Public Broadcasting — staffing crises and violence in Georgia prisons.
• Wesh.com and News‑journalonline.com — inmate fraud allegations at Dooly State Prison.
• CourtListener — dockets for Banks v. Sampson, Mcneal v. Sampson, and Fox v. Weeks Marine Inc.
• GPS death records and intelligence event logs — internal case management data on deaths, violent incidents, and facility conditions.

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Jun 7, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.