Family demands answers in stabbing death of inmate at Fulton County Jail

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Inside the Fulton County Government Center Wednesday, the family of Dayvion Devote Blake demanded answers and accountability. Blake is one of 10 inmates to die at the Fulton County jail this year. Investigators say he was stabbed multiple times.

"He did not deserve to have anything like this happen, there should have been more safety procedures," said Sonya Marquis, Blake’s aunt.

On Aug. 31, the 23-year-old was killed, and four other inmates were injured in what the Fulton County Sheriff's Office says was a stabbing on the seventh floor of the jail.

Blake was in custody on two counts of reckless conduct and possession of marijuana and cocaine as well as a battery charge out of Sumter County. He had been in custody since late January 2023. 

Attorneys for the family believe that Blake was stabbed to death with shanks by other inmates while he was on the isolation unit floor of the jail. They claim the other inmates popped the locks that were malfunctioning and killed Blake in an area that should be monitored by guards. 

The family’s attorney says they are planning to sue because Blake had been attacked before and more should have been done to protect him.

"It was shocking," Blake's uncle John Ponder told FOX 5. "He didn't deserve to get his life taken like this, everything falls on Rice Street. It's sad that a kid goes to jail and loses their life."

Blake had previously been arrested in 2021 after a high-speed chase through Atlanta. He had been charged with reckless driving, felony theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, and misdemeanor willful obstruction of law enforcement.

"Yes, he's made some mistakes in his life as far as why he ended up in Fulton County Jail, but no matter what happened to why he got there, he should not have died there," Marquis said.

Investigators told FOX 5 they believe the incident was gang-related, but Blake's family says he was not in a gang. They say he was attacked by rival inmates, and that he was a good person. Now, his 2-year-old daughter will grow up without him.

"He was really sweet, always laughing," said Blake's aunt Sonya Marquis. "He had a great personality, just super nice."

Just days before Blake died in-custody, investigators say a cellmate strangled Samuel Lawrence. His family told FOX 5 on Tuesday that he had filed a number of complaints because of issues with staff and other inmates. Both Blake's and Lawrence's families say the system failed them.

FOX 5 Reporter Tyler Fingert took that concern directly to the top.  

"I said from the mountaintops, we are in a crisis, have been in a crisis long before I took office," said Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.

Sheriff Labat says his team is actively working to overhaul the issues. He says he has asked not only the county commission for help, but the feds too.  

"We will continue to fight and will continue to focus on saving lives," he said.

For the Blake family and their attorney, solutions are long overdue.  

"How many people have to die while you're trying to fix it," Harper said.  

The Blake family says some people have been charged with his murder. We reached out to Atlanta Police for more details, but have not heard back.

Fulton County Jail in crisis

The jail, which opened in 1989, held more than 3,200 people earlier this year — well above its capacity of roughly 2,700. 

Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts has turned to the Atlanta City Council for help battling the overcrowding that officials say is to blame for inmates living in inhumane conditions.

This year alone, 10 inmates have died at the jail. In a five-week span, there have been a reported six deaths - the last being a 24-year-old inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell on Aug. 31.

After the last death, Pitts called the situation at the jail a "crisis and an emergency." 

The Fulton County Jail remains under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The federal agency opened a civil rights investigation into conditions at the jail, with officials citing violence, filthy conditions and the death last year of Lashawn Thompson, whose body was found covered in insects. An independent autopsy done at his family’s request found he died from severe neglect. His family has since reached a settlement with the county.

Samuel Lawrence, 34, died Aug. 26 at Grady Memorial Hospital after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the jail. The other three people who died in the last month include 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins, 34-year-old Christopher Smith and 40-year-old Montay Stinson.

On Wednesday, Fulton County leaders debated over a plan to transfer hundreds of inmates to facilities in and outside of Georgia.

A Fulton County Jail inmate also spoke during the meeting, describing the deteriorating conditions at the jail.

"The walls are crumbling down and inmates are creating shanks out of the wall. So, you can go inside of the wall and get you a knife. You can go into your light and fix yourself up something to stab somebody next to you," the inmate explained.

Attorneys with the Fulton County Public Defender's Office have filed an emergency petition to prevent the transfers, saying that it would significant difficulties in providing them with legal representation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.