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'Racially-motivated' murder investigation underway at Clayton County Jail, sheriff says

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  November 20, 2023 11:32am EST
Clayton County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Inmate charged in racially-motivated murder

A murder investigation is underway at the Clayton County Jail after the sheriff says an inmate beat his cellmate to death. The sheriff's office called the beating death racially motivated, saying Jaquez Jackson repeatedly said he didn't like Mexicans and Hispanics.

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A "racially-motivated" murder investigation is underway at the Clayton County Jail, according to a press release from Sheriff Levon Allen.

Allen says inmate Jaquez Jackson "brutally beat his cellmate with his bare hands, viciously punching, kicking and slamming his head on the toilet, murdering him simply because of the color of his skin."

Jackson reportedly stated several times he does not like Mexican/Hispanics and wanted to kill them.

Clayton County Jail file photo

Jackson has been charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and starting a penal riot.

Jackson was in jail on a violation of probation. He was originally charged with simple battery, simple assault, criminal trespass, battery, terroristic threats and obstruction of an officer. He was sentenced to five years with one year in jail and the remainder of five years on probation on April 20, 2022.

His probation was revoked on Oct. 11, and he was sentenced to serve one year.

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Jaquez Jackson

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate the murder.

Allen says that he and the Board of Commissioners have been "working diligently to make improvements" to the jail over the past 11 months.

The Clayton County Jail has 1,536 beds with two inmates in each cell. However, it is currently housing approximately 1,900 inmates with some inmates being housed on the floor or in a cell with two other inmates, according to the sheriff.