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Walker, Martella L

Status: active

Profile written August 2, 2026

Current Position Deputy Warden Of Security Ware State Prison
Salary $71,654 2025 · state payroll
Deaths Under Their Watch 12 during their tenure

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

Martella L. Walker’s career with the Georgia Department of Corrections spans more than two decades, progressing from a correctional officer at Wilcox State Prison in 2002 to unit supervisor roles across the system before being appointed Deputy Warden of Security at Ware State Prison on September 16, 2025. GPS records show that 12 deaths have been attributed to Walker’s leadership tenure at Ware State Prison, all occurring after her elevation to that facility-deputy role. No lawsuits naming Walker as a defendant were identified in the available data.

What happened on their watch

All 12 attributed deaths took place during Walker’s time as Deputy Warden of Security at Ware State Prison, a facility that had already drawn sustained scrutiny for violence and neglect. Between October 2025 and June 2026, the 12 recorded deaths included five homicides, two suicides, three natural deaths, one accident, and one case pending classification. The Ware County Coroner’s office determined that Christopher Allen Barrett (46) died from multiple sharp-force injuries and blunt head trauma in a cellmate assault, Christopher Henry (48) from blunt force injuries including strangulation, Anthony Terrell Grover (25) from multiple sharp-force injuries, Justin Dean Pulley (48) from blunt force and ligature strangulation, and Kojack Junior Thomas (27) from blunt head trauma and ligature asphyxia. Thomas’s death prompted an investigation by the GDC’s Office of Professional Standards, and his body was sent to the GBI crime lab. Two deaths were classified as suicide: Johnathan Cleo Hardman‑Simmons (36) died from an apparent ligature hanging, and Marty Shawn Wright (49) from exsanguination due to sharp-force trauma. Natural causes claimed Cody Humphrey (72), Carlton Atkins Jones (55), and Michael Cohen (68). Vernon Edward Kennedy (70) died from complications of a hip fracture sustained in a fall, ruled accidental. David Randolph Newcomer (85) died on June 30, 2026, with the cause still pending per available records.

The broader context of Ware State Prison is marked by long‑standing failures. According to the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution, ten inmates were killed at Ware between July 2020 and August 2024 in homicides that often involved multiple prisoners. The facility was the site of a major hostage‑taking and mass disturbance on August 1, 2020, which the GDC publicly described only as a “disturbance” while internal records documented escapes, assaults, and the use of 33 homemade weapons. Georgia Public Broadcasting reported allegations from the mother of DonTavis Mintz that no welfare checks were performed at Ware, resulting in his body going undiscovered for days in 2024. These systemic issues form the backdrop for the 12 deaths that occurred under Walker’s security oversight.

Sources

  • Ware County Coroner / GBI DOFS records — official cause and manner determinations for all 12 deaths attributed during Walker’s tenure.
  • Atlanta Journal-Constitution — reports on homicide counts at Ware State Prison (2020–2024), the 2020 hostage‑taking disturbance, and the discrepancy between public and internal descriptions of that incident.
  • Georgia Public Broadcasting — allegations regarding lack of welfare checks and delayed discovery of inmate DonTavis Mintz’s body at Ware State Prison.
  • GPS intelligence records — intel events documenting the Kojack Thomas Jr. investigation, prior deaths, and settlements at Ware State Prison.

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Aug 2, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.

Positions Held

TitleFacilityTenure
Deputy Warden of SecurityWARE STATE PRISON2025-09-16 → present
CORRECTIONAL UNIT MANAGER2024-01-01 → present
CORRECTIONAL CAPTAIN2023-01-01 → 2023-12-31
CORRECTIONAL LIEUTENANT2018-01-01 → 2022-12-31
CORRECTIONAL SERGEANTWILCOX STATE PRISON2016-01-01 → 2017-12-31
CORRECTIONS OFFICER(WL)WILCOX STATE PRISON2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31
Correctional OfficerWILCOX STATE PRISON2002-01-01 → 2002-12-31

Deaths attributed during tenure

12 people died at facilities under Walker, Martella L's leadership.

DateDecedentAgeFacilityRole at time
2026-06-30DAVID RANDOLPH NEWCOMER85WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-31KOJACK JUNIOR THOMAS27WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-20JOHNATHAN CLEO HARDMAN-SIMMONS36WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-20JUSTIN DEAN PULLEY48WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-11ANTHONY TERRELL GROVER25WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-02-21CODY HUMPHREY72WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-02-12CHRISTOPHER HENRY48WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-01-24CARLTON ATKINS JONES55WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2025-12-12VERNON EDWARD KENNEDY70WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2025-12-01CHRISTOPHER ALLEN BARRETT46WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2025-11-13MARTY SHAWN WRIGHT49WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2025-10-13MICHAEL COHEN68WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security

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