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Walker, Martella L

Status: active

Profile written June 7, 2026

Current Position Deputy Warden Of Security Ware State Prison
Salary $71,654 2025 · state payroll
Deaths Under Their Watch 13 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 began a GDC career in 2002 as a Correctional Officer at Wilcox State Prison, later returning to that facility as an officer and sergeant before advancing through the ranks of lieutenant, captain, and unit manager from 2018 through early 2025. On September 16, 2025, Walker was appointed Deputy Warden of Security at Ware State Prison—a facility with a documented history of fatal violence. GPS records attribute 13 deaths to the facility during Walker’s tenure in this security leadership role, all occurring between October 2025 and May 2026. No lawsuits naming Walker as a defendant appear in available records.

What happened on their watch

Deputy Warden of Security, Ware State Prison (September 16, 2025 – present)

Within weeks of Walker assuming the deputy warden of security post, deaths began to mount. GPS records show 13 people died at Ware State Prison between October 13, 2025, and May 31, 2026. At least seven of those deaths are categorized as homicides (cause category 3), including multiple killings by cellmates. Among the documented dead are Michael Cohen (68), Marty Shawn Wright (49), Christopher Allen Barrett (46, killed by his cellmate in “the hole,” according to a family Facebook post), Vernon Edward Kennedy (70), Carlton Atkins Jones (55), Christopher Henry (48, an aggravated assault offender, per GDC data), Cody Humphrey (72), Justin Dean Pulley (49), Jonathan Zimmons (killed by a cellmate), and two unnamed individuals described in GPS reports as “John Doe” and “John Doe 2 - Ware SP.” The death of one inmate, identified only as “Juice,” was later linked to victim David Spottem in user-submitted records. A further death on May 31, 2026, prompted the GDC Office of Professional Standards to open a homicide investigation.

Ware State Prison had already been flagged by the U.S. Department of Justice for gang-run prisons “riddled with regular violence and sexual assault,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A 2020 mass disturbance at the facility—involving hostage-taking, stabbings, and the use of 33 homemade weapons—led to a mass staff exodus. The AJC additionally reported that ten inmates were killed at Ware between July 2020 and August 2024, often with multiple perpetrators. Georgia Public Broadcasting quoted a mother, Narissa Wright, who alleged that no counts or welfare checks were conducted, allowing her son’s body to go undiscovered for days at Ware. These systemic findings overlap with the period of Walker’s security oversight, though no direct allegation links Walker personally to any specific failure.

Sources

  • GPS records — death counts and incident dates for 13 decedents at Ware State Prison during Walker’s tenure as Deputy Warden of Security.
  • Atlanta Journal-Constitution — reporting on Ware State Prison homicides (2020–2024), DOJ findings on gang-run prisons, and the 2020 hostage incident.
  • Georgia Public Broadcasting — interview with Narissa Wright alleging lack of welfare checks at Ware State Prison.
  • U.S. Department of Justice — January 2024 report detailing violence and sexual assault in Georgia prisons.
  • GDC Office of Professional Standards — investigation of the May 31, 2026, potential homicide at Ware State Prison.

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.

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

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

DateDecedentAgeFacilityRole at time
2026-05-31KOJACK JUNIOR THOMAS—WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-21JUSTIN DEAN PULLEY49WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-21(name unavailable)—WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-19JONATHAN HARDMAN-SIMMONS—WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-11(name unavailable)—WARE STATE PRISONDeputy Warden of Security
2026-05-11ANTHONY TERRELL GROVER—WARE 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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