Inmate Death Under Investigation

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

FORSYTH, Ga. – Special Agents with the Georgia Department of Corrections’ (GDC) Office of Professional Standards are investigating the death of an inmate at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Ga., as a suspected homicide.

Agents have reason to believe offender Rafael Blass (GDC#1262558) died as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation involving another inmate on March 7.  Prison medical personnel provided life saving measures to revive him and he was pronounced deceased at approximately 5:55 p.m by the county Coroner.  GDC, in conjunction with the GBI is conducting an investigation into the death, as standard procedure.

Blass was sentenced to twenty-five years in 2017, in Gwinnett County for Aggravated Child Molestation.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 54,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.