Inmate Death at Hays State Prison Under Investigation; Possible Foul Play Suspected

The Chattooga County Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Department of Corrections are investigating the death of an inmate at Hays State Prison that may involve foul play.

According to Chattooga County Coroner Jeremy McElhaney, the investigation began Saturday, October 25, 2025, after he was called to Atrium Floyd Chattooga ER at 4:54 p.m. for a death involving an inmate from the facility.

The inmate, identified as 48-year-old James Cannon, was found unresponsive and not breathing inside his cell earlier that afternoon. Prison staff immediately began CPR and contacted Atrium Floyd EMS. Cannon was transported to Atrium Floyd Chattooga ER, where he was pronounced deceased by an emergency room physician.

Special Agents with the Georgia Department of Corrections responded both to the hospital and to the prison to assist with the investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the possibility of foul play involving Cannon’s cellmate, though investigators have not released additional details.

Coroner McElhaney said the body has been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination to determine the official cause and manner of death.

The investigation remains ongoing.