The early Friday morning death of a Fulton County inmate in the Cobb County Jail was ruled a homicide, and his cellmate has been charged with murder.
Horace Gibbs, 63, of Atlanta, was found unresponsive after his cellmate, Ernest Johnson, 52, of Fairburn, notified deputies, a Fulton County Sheriff’s Office news release said. Gibbs was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The news release said an autopsy by the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.
Johnson was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault strangulation by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division for allegedly killing Gibbs.
Gibbs and Johnson were Fulton County Jail detainees housed at the Cobb County Jail. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office outsources detainees to Cobb County, Oconee County, and the Atlanta City Detention Center due to overcrowding.
Gibbs had been arrested on Sept. 2, 2022, by the Atlanta Police Department for criminal trespass, willful obstruction of an officer, and simple battery against police officer/police dog/corrections or detention officer. He was being held on a $12,500 bond.
Johnson was arrested Sept. 6 by the Union City Police Department for three counts of terrorist threats and acts and two counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officer. He was being held on a $6,500 bond.
