Georgia · DeKalb County · Alerts

DeKalb County Jail Inmate Death: Tehutihotep Hartley, 26, of Decatur, GA, Found Unresponsive Monday

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said Hartley was found unresponsive Monday morning and was pronounced dead in the jail’s medical clinic. His cause of death remains undetermined.

By Kate Thompson Published Aug. 18, 2026 at 5:50 p.m. ET Updated Aug. 18, 2026 at 5:50 p.m. ET 4 min read One dead

What happened at the DeKalb County Jail?

A 26-year-old man being held at the DeKalb County Jail was found unresponsive Monday morning and could not be revived, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. Atlanta News First reported that deputies said an inmate died Monday morning at the jail, and identified him as Tehutihotep Hartley, 26, of Decatur.

Medical workers found Hartley unresponsive Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said, according to The Georgia Sun. Decaturish reported that the sheriff’s office said an inmate died on Aug. 17.

Medical staff at the jail and emergency medical crews tried to treat him, Atlanta News First reported, and he did not survive. Decaturish, quoting the sheriff’s release directly, reported: “On-site medical personnel and emergency medical services immediately administered aid, but Mr. Hartley was pronounced deceased in the jail’s medical clinic.” CBS News Atlanta reported that he was pronounced dead at the jail.

The death was Monday. What is new on Tuesday is the sheriff’s office disclosing it publicly and naming Hartley.

Who was Tehutihotep Hartley?

Hartley was 26 and lived in Decatur, in DeKalb County, Atlanta News First reported. He was an inmate in the custody of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office when he was found. Why he was being held has not been released.

The Georgia Sun reported that the sheriff’s office released neither the time he was found nor the identity of whoever found him, and said nothing about how long the effort to revive him went on.

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What has the sheriff’s office said about the cause of death?

The sheriff’s office has not determined how Hartley died and has an investigation running, Atlanta News First reported.

What the office has offered so far is a preliminary characterisation, not a finding. “Reports indicate that the incident may have been an unanticipated medical emergency with no evidence of foul play,” Atlanta News First quoted deputies as saying. The Georgia Sun reported the office in similar terms, describing an unexpected medical emergency and saying investigators had turned up no sign of foul play.

What did Sheriff Melody Maddox say?

“We extend condolences to the Hartley family,” Sheriff Melody Maddox said in a statement carried by Atlanta News First. “This office takes the care of persons in our custody very seriously, and we are committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our jail operations.”

How many people have died at the DeKalb County Jail?

Decaturish reported that Hartley’s is the fourth inmate death recorded at the jail so far this year, and that the sheriff logged eight such deaths there last year. CBS News Atlanta, counting over a different period, placed Hartley at least third among inmates who have died in DeKalb County custody in recent months.

CBS News Atlanta reported that John Parazzo, 73, was found unresponsive on July 17 in his housing unit at the jail.

In April, CBS News Atlanta reported, Olaolukitan Adon Abel was found unresponsive in his cell. Abel was at that point facing charges in both local and federal court over a shooting spree in the county earlier the same month.

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What we don’t know yet

Frequently asked questions

Who died at the DeKalb County Jail?
Tehutihotep Hartley, 26, of Decatur. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office named him in a press release on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, Atlanta News First reported.

When did Tehutihotep Hartley die?
Monday morning, Aug. 17, 2026. The Georgia Sun reported that medical workers found him unresponsive that morning; Decaturish reported the sheriff’s office gave the date as Aug. 17.

Where was he pronounced dead?
In the jail’s medical clinic, according to the sheriff’s release as reported by Atlanta News First and Decaturish. CBS News Atlanta reported only that he was pronounced dead at the jail.

What was the cause of death?
Undetermined. Atlanta News First reported that the sheriff’s office has not established how Hartley died and that an investigation is running.

Did the sheriff’s office say anything about foul play?
Atlanta News First quoted deputies as saying: “Reports indicate that the incident may have been an unanticipated medical emergency with no evidence of foul play.” That is a preliminary characterisation, not a finding.

What did Sheriff Melody Maddox say?
“We extend condolences to the Hartley family,” Sheriff Melody Maddox said in a statement carried by Atlanta News First. “This office takes the care of persons in our custody very seriously, and we are committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our jail operations.”

Why was Tehutihotep Hartley being held at the jail?
That has not been released. Hartley was an inmate in the custody of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office at the time of his death.

Did the sheriff’s office say who found him, or when?
No. The Georgia Sun reported that the office released neither the time he was found nor who found him.

How many inmates have died at the DeKalb County Jail this year?
Decaturish reported that Hartley’s is the fourth this year, and that the sheriff logged eight inmate deaths at the jail last year. CBS News Atlanta, counting over a different period, placed him at least third among inmates who have died in DeKalb County custody in recent months.

Who else has died at the DeKalb County Jail recently?
CBS News Atlanta reported two earlier deaths: John Parazzo, 73, found unresponsive on July 17 in his housing unit, which authorities also believe happened during a medical emergency; and Olaolukitan Adon Abel, found unresponsive in his cell in April while facing local and federal charges over a shooting spree in the county earlier that month.

Which agency is investigating Hartley’s death?
Atlanta News First reported that the sheriff’s office said a full investigation is being conducted.

Related coverage

More Georgia public-safety reports from DeKalb County. In neighbouring Fulton County, a man who escaped the Fulton County Jail was captured in Atlanta. On the coast, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office defended its release of an inmate with dementia who then went missing.