Death of inmate found unresponsive in Troup County Jail under investigation

Deputies in Troup County are investigating the death of an inmate in the county jail over the weekend.

Authorities say they were alerted that 70-year-old George Ellis was found unresponsive in his dorm early Saturday morning.

"Jail medical personnel were immediately notified, who began life-saving measures including CPR and the use of an AED," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. "Within a few minutes, the Troup County Fire Department and AMR arrived on scene and took over care.

Medics took Ellis to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. It was there that he was later pronounced dead.

The cause of Ellis' death remains unknown, pending an autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Both the sheriff's office and the GBI are doing independent investigations into the man's death.

This is the second inmate death at the jail in 2026. Officials say staff found 44-year-old Montavious Rhodes unresponsive on March 11 during a routine meal pass. His cause of death has not been released.