Wilcox, Rickey W

Tenure Summary

Rickey W. Wilcox entered GDC as a correctional officer in 2015 and rose through lieutenant and unit-manager ranks before being appointed Deputy Warden at Telfair State Prison, a position he has held continuously from 2023 through at least 2025. GPS records show 36 deaths attributed to Telfair State Prison during Wilcox's tenure as Deputy Warden — spanning January 2023 through March 2026 — including at least 13 classified as homicides, one heat-related death, one suicide, one suspected overdose, and multiple deaths with cause pending or categorized as unknown. No lawsuits naming Wilcox personally as a defendant appear in GPS records.

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What Happened on Their Watch

Deputy Warden — Telfair State Prison (2023–present)

GPS records attribute 36 deaths at Telfair State Prison during Wilcox's tenure as Deputy Warden. The homicide toll is the most documented category: Deahmoz Oshmic Floyd, 29, died April 18, 2023 from exsanguination after a stab wound to the neck; according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a claim filed against the state alleged Floyd was stabbed by several prisoners at a time when no prison staff were present in the dorm, and a separate AJC-reported claim alleged Floyd had renounced his gang affiliation, making him a prior target. Kwesi Jamal Stultz, 24, died December 22, 2023 from multiple injuries to the head, per the AJC investigation. In 2024, the AJC documents homicides of Joey Kilgore (45, February 29), Lamar Wilson (32, June 1, fight injuries), Zoumana Madiou Sarre (23, July 5, multiple sharp force injuries to neck and torso), Henry Crump (41, September 2), and Eric Whitehead (29, September 18, fight). Aaron Smith, 32, was found stabbed in his cell on December 19, 2024, per 13WMAZ. Into 2025, Telfair County coroner records confirm additional homicides: Lester James Smith (45, June 2, stab wound to torso), Ezra Dangelo Ford (21, March 25, assault/stabbing in housing unit), Deandre Moody (age not recorded, January 28–29, strangulation in shower), and Malindzo Eddy Hatcher (42, July 21, stab wound to the chest in a common area — his uncle told 13WMAZ and WGXA, "He didn't have a death sentence but received one"). Preston C. Phelps, 28, was stabbed and killed December 13, 2025, in what Telfair County coroner records describe as a gang fight; GDC's Office of Professional Standards opened a homicide investigation, per intel event records.

A notable non-homicide death: Juan Carlos Ramirez, 27, died July 20, 2023 after officers left him in an outdoor recreation cage for five hours during a 105-degree heat index; he arrived at the hospital with an internal body temperature of 107°F, per GPS records. GDC reported his death as "natural causes." Robert Baker, 45, died October 12, 2025 by hanging, ruled suicide by the Telfair County coroner. Tony Morales Adame, 32, was found unresponsive in his cell June 25–26, 2025; GPS records classify the death as a drug overdose, though the coroner form does not state cause or manner. Multiple additional deaths across 2023–2026 carry cause categories of "unknown/pending."

The facility's broader context during Wilcox's tenure is documented in AJC reporting: as of one published date, Telfair held only 32 correctional officers against a requirement of at least 153 — a 79% vacancy rate, per the AJC. A separate AJC report cited 76% of essential workforce positions as unfilled, leaving approximately 36 officers for roughly 1,400 prisoners. The AJC also reported that Sergeant Desiree Briley was sentenced in early 2023 to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to helping a prisoner smuggle methamphetamine into Telfair for at least two years. GPS records additionally contain unverified Telegram-sourced reports of a stabbing lockdown (April 2026), a post-lockdown group fight (March 2026), and an inmate having a finger severed by another inmate in an adjacent unit (March 2026).

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Sources

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (multiple homicide entries, 2023–2024); AJC reporting on staffing vacancies at Telfair SP; AJC reporting on Sergeant Desiree Briley drug trafficking conviction; AJC opinion column on GDC systemic conditions
• Telfair County Coroner Records — death investigation forms for multiple decedents, 2025 records release (`~/Coroner-Records/2025/Telfair-2025.pdf`)
• 13WMAZ, WTOC, WGXA — reporting on Preston Phelps death (December 2025); Aaron Smith stabbing (December 2024); Malindzo Hatcher death (July 2025)
• GPS records / intel event log — GDC Office of Professional Standards homicide investigation (Phelps); heat-death circumstances (Ramirez, July 2023); Briley sentencing event
• GPS case submissions (Telegram relay) — unverified incident reports, March–April 2026
• Solitary Watch — allegations of tactical officer rampage and heat shutoff at Telfair SP (December 2010; predates Wilcox's tenure, documented as facility history)

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on May 10, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.