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Five former law enforcement officials arrested in Floyd County Jail beating

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  August 2, 2024 9:18pm EDT
Floyd County
FOX 5 Atlanta
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Joshua Lee Riddle, 32, of Lafayette, was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, battery, and violation of oath of office.  (Floyd County Sheriff's Office)

FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. - Five former law enforcement officials have been arrested and charged after a two-month investigation into the beating of an inmate at the Floyd County Jail. 

According to arrest warrants obtained by FOX 5, three former Georgia Department of Corrections officers, a former GDC investigator, and a former Floyd County deputy conspired to beat the inmate on June 4, as he was being transferred to a state facility. 

The Floyd County Sheriff's Office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to handle the probe into the beating.  

The GBI arrested all five on Friday, releasing their names and charges:  

  • Joshua Lee Riddle, 32, of Lafayette, was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, battery, and violation of oath of office.
  • Billy Joe Lingerfelt, 63, of Lafayette, was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, battery, and violation of oath of office.
  • Donna Michelle Pettyjohn, 56, of Lafayette, was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats and acts, conspiracy to commit battery, false statements, and violation of oath of office.
  • Hannah Danielle Rittweger, 32, of Adairsville, was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats and acts, conspiracy to commit battery, false statements, and violation of oath of office.
  • Logan Eugene Nelson, 24, of Cave Spring, was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats, conspiracy to commit battery, and violation of oath of office.

The warrants state that Rittweger provided Riddle with the name of the inmate, who was taken into a dressing room after Pettyjohn checked for any cameras in that part of the jail. Riddle is accused of threatening the inmate, along with Lingerfelt, who also stood as a lookout, before violently beating him.  His warrant outlines that he beat the inmate with his open hand, striking him multiple times and using an unidentified object to hit him. 

Nelson, who was fired from the Floyd County Sheriff's Office two days after the beating, is accused of closing the door to the dressing room and standing by. 

All five are also accused of trying to cover up the attack by lying to investigators. 

Riddle, Lingerfelt, Pettyjohn, and Rittweger were terminated from the Georgia Department of Corrections. They join Nelson, now as inmates, in the Floyd County Jail, being held without bond.