2 former Augusta prison guards charged in inmate’s death

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two former Augusta State Medical Prison correctional officers have been indicted on an accusation of neglecting a fire that resulted in an inmate’s death.

A two-count indictment was unsealed Thursday in the Southern District of Georgia charging Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips with “violating the constitutional rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm to an inmate, resulting in his death.”

The indictment alleges that on Oct. 28, 2020, Roberson and Phillips became aware of a smoldering fire in an inmate’s cell.

Rather than extinguish the fire, evacuate the inmate from his cell, remediate the smoke from the cell or call a fire emergency over the radio, they willfully disregarded the substantial risk of serious harm to the inmate by leaving him in his locked cell for several hours while he slowly died from smoke inhalation, according to the indictment.

The indictment further charges Roberson with falsifying a logbook to cover up his misconduct.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Briana M. Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

Inmate slayings aren’t unheard of at the prison. Among the deaths there:

• In May of 2024, inmate Roderick Hayes, 29, was serving a 10-year sentence when he was killed during an altercation at the prison.
• On March 30, 2023, inmate Amos Huff died in an apparent homicide at the prison.
• On July 2, 2021, inmate Ali Tanner was killed July at the prison while serving a life sentence without parole for murder.
• On Aug. 28, 2011, Antonio Wiley was stabbed to death by inmates at the prison.