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Williams, Khalilah J
Status: active
Profile written July 12, 2026
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
Khalilah J. Williams began as a behavioral health counselor and later a behavioral health counselor supervisor for the Georgia Department of Corrections before rising to the position of Deputy Warden at Dodge State Prison, a role Williams held from at least 2017 through 2025. During this facility-deputy tenure, GPS records attribute 16 total deaths to Dodge State Prison. The deaths span from 2020 to 2025, including two homicides investigated by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, multiple suicides, and a cluster of natural deaths linked to COVID‑19 in 2020. A state liability settlement of $16,000 was paid in 2025 for an incident that occurred at Dodge while Williams served as Deputy Warden.What happened on their watch
Dodge State Prison (2017–present) The 16 deaths recorded during Williams’s tenure reflect a range of causes. In 2020, four individuals died from natural causes after contracting COVID‑19: Tadrick Terrian Osborne, 40; Caesar Dupree, 64; and Cantrell Lavar Edge, 41, all in‑patient ICU deaths, per coroner reports. That year, Kenneth Lockett, 57, collapsed and died after reporting rib pain, and William D. Hughes, 61, was found in cardiac arrest after saying he felt unwell. Both had histories of hypertension and other chronic conditions, according to coroner findings.In 2021, Hoke Smith Tarpley, 57, died of diabetic ketoacidosis, while Stewart Myles Mitchell, 36, died from an undetermined cause (GPS records classify the manner as pending). The year 2022 saw two homicides, as documented by the AJC’s Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation. Hezekiah Cuyler, 21, died on September 14 from blunt force trauma to the head after a fight on August 31, with the coroner classifying the manner as homicide. Douglas Anthony Forts, 57, died on June 2 from acute traumatic amputation of a finger during a fight; the coroner listed the manner as blank but GPS records categorize it as a homicide. That year Arnold Merle McDonald, 63, died from a subdural hematoma following a fall, with the coroner leaving the manner undetermined.
In 2023, two suicides occurred: John August Comer, 33, was found hanging in his cell on September 9; the coroner listed the manner as pending but noted circumstances of self‑hanging and a known mental‑health history. Charles Dennis Casey, 41, was found hanging on May 6; the coroner ruled it a suicide. Kenneth Brown, 58, died by suicide via hanging in his cell in January 2024. The most recent deaths include Sotero Uriquiza‑Hernandez, 51, who collapsed after complaining of low back pain in May 2025; Joseph Chatfield, 62, whose cause remains unknown pending toxicology; and Warren Peacock, 70, who died from chronic diseases in April 2026 — a date that suggests Williams may have remained in the Deputy Warden role beyond the structured record set. A 2025 settlement from the Georgia DOAS Risk Management ledger paid $16,000 to Kimyania Smith for an incident at Dodge State Prison.
Sources
- GPS records — personnel, death, and intel data for Khalilah J. Williams
- Coroner ORR 2026-06-30 — cause and manner determinations for Dodge State Prison deaths
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation (homicides of Hezekiah Cuyler and Douglas Anthony Forts)
- Georgia DOAS Risk Management settlement ledger (Open Records) — settlement payment to Kimyania Smith related to Dodge State Prison
Positions Held
| Title | Facility | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY WARDEN | DODGE STATE PRISON | 2017-01-01 → present |
| BEHAVIORAL HLTH COUNSELOR SPV | 2016-01-01 → 2016-12-31 | |
| BEH HEALTH/COUNSELOR (SP) | 2015-01-01 → 2015-12-31 |
Deaths attributed during tenure
16 people died at facilities under Williams, Khalilah J's leadership.
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