Watson, Kochelle

Tenure Summary

Kochelle Watson's GDC career is documented from 2015, when she appears in a correction operations role earning $35,978.40, followed by promotions to correctional lieutenant (2016–2017) and correctional unit manager (2018). She served as deputy warden at Johnson State Prison from 2019 through 2021, then as correctional superintendent at Emanuel Probation Detention Center in 2022 — a posting listed again on November 22, 2023, and again from January 1 to June 15, 2024. In 2024 she returned to Johnson State Prison as Warden 1 (January 1–June 15, 2024) and then as Warden (June 16, 2024–June 15, 2026); her 2025 salary is listed at $94,610.14. Her status with GDC is active.

GPS's death registry attributes 66 deaths to Johnson State Prison during her leadership tenures there — the only facility in the records carrying deaths attributed to her watch. Two state liability settlements are logged against Johnson deaths from her deputy-warden years, including $4,000,000 for the estate of David Lamar Henegar, and a lawsuit in which she is listed as a defendant remains pending.

What happened on their watch

Johnson State Prison — Deputy Warden (2019–2021). GPS's death registry records deaths at Johnson across this period. David Lamar Henegar, 44, died October 16, 2021; the registry lists manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, cellmate Antone Hinton-Leonard allegedly hogtied, beat and choked Henegar over five hours; the AJC also reported that officials kept Henegar in custody past his scheduled release date because of an administrative delay, that staff allegedly failed to act on repeated prisoner reports about Hinton-Leonard's mental health problems and a prior choking incident a week earlier, and that staff allegedly ignored Henegar's screams and other prisoners' pleas. A lawsuit filed for Betty Wade and David Jacob Henegar alleges three corrections officers and a prison manager could have prevented the death. Hinton-Leonard was charged with murder and was awaiting trial, scheduled to begin later in April 2026, per the AJC. The GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records) records a $4,000,000 state liability payout to Betty Wade, for the Estate of David Lamar Henegar, tied to Johnson State Prison and the 2021 incident. Jerry Lee Brown, 61, died November 12, 2020, of stab wounds to the head and blunt force injury to the face; the ledger records a $1,449,640 payout tied to Johnson and the 2020 incident, plus a $1,500 payout for Antione Caldwell (Johnson, 2020).

Emanuel Probation Detention Center — Correctional Superintendent (2022; November 22, 2023; January 1–June 15, 2024). The records attribute no deaths to Emanuel Probation Detention Center.

Johnson State Prison — Warden 1 (January 1–June 15, 2024) and Warden (June 16, 2024–June 15, 2026). The registry attributes the remainder of the 66 Johnson deaths to these years. On August 10, 2024, Kenneth Adam Robinson, 50, died at Johnson; incident report data shows a homicide but the death certificate had not been received, per the registry. GPS's registry lists the following deaths, where a cause shown as Unknown/Pending means GPS does not yet know the cause:

• Martrese Jamon Mckay died April 18, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; the cause is listed as suicide, age 30.
• Dale Way died March 28, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 76.
• Michael Elias Peschel died March 14, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as homicide, age 36.
• Anthony Shivers died February 11, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as overdose, age 41.
• Joseph Lamar Sanders died January 27, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as homicide, age 54.
• Phillip Lamar Byrd died January 18, 2026, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as homicide, age 46.
• Calvin R Norwood died December 30, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 72.
• Marc Charles Neermann died November 2, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 69.
• Roger James died October 29, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 68.
• Aubrie Henley died October 5, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 69.
• Jarvis Dontez Walker died September 26, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 39.
• Matthew Glenn Maynard died September 14, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 65.
• Loy Alpheus III Windham died July 31, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 54.
• Larry Sherall Richards died July 29, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 86.
• Russell Scott Carter died July 23, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 42.
• Justin Haley Freeman died July 20, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 44.
• Robert Glenn Tanner died July 15, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 56.
• Joseph Wayne Clayton died July 12, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 32.
• Dewayne Bess died July 10, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 63.
• Robert Joseph Pruett died June 26, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 61.
• John Charles Rhoten died June 15, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 54.
• Paul Russell Brewster died June 9, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as homicide, age 48.
• Robert Barnwell died May 4, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 80.
• Justin Brandon Hulett died February 12, 2025, at Johnson State Prison; cause listed as homicide, age 38.
• Calvin Obie Boynton died December 21, 2024, at Johnson State Prison; cause Unknown/Pending, age 61.

A GPS case submission dated April 10, 2026, while Watson held the WARDEN 1 role, alleges ongoing unsanitary food service conditions at Johnson — trays with visible residue in compartment seams, internal efforts reportedly unsuccessful, and incarcerated people reportedly experiencing illness; log entries describe degraded dishwashing infrastructure and a manual chemical-dunk process. These are source allegations, not confirmed findings.

Litigation

• Wade v. Morgan, case no. 3:23-cv-00073, court designated GASD, filed August 31, 2023; status pending, no outcome amount recorded. Watson is listed as a defendant (CourtListener docket).
• GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records): $4,000,000 to Betty Wade, for the Estate of David Lamar Henegar (Johnson State Prison, 2021 incident); $1,449,640 for Jerry Brown (Johnson, 2020); $1,500 for Antione Caldwell (Johnson, 2020).
• The AJC reported that Wade and David Jacob Henegar sued three corrections officers and a prison manager over Henegar's death.

Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Henegar homicide reporting and the $4M settlement on the eve of trial (January 21, 2025; April 6, 2026).
• GA DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records) — Johnson State Prison payouts, 2020–2021 incidents.
• Court records / CourtListener docket — Wade v. Morgan, 3:23-cv-00073 (GASD).
• GPS death registry — 66 deaths attributed to Johnson State Prison during Watson's leadership tenures.
• GPS case submission, April 10, 2026 — Johnson State Prison food service conditions allegation.

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Sep 25, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.