Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, GBI investigate inmate death

ALBANY – The Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office has requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in investigating the death of a jail inmate.

Marquis Kentrell Barney was found unresponsive in his cell at 9:50 p.m. Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The initial investigation indicates that the death may have been self-inflicted, Chief Deputy John Ostrander said.

“The sheriff’s office will conduct an administrative investigation to determine if the staff response was appropriate,” he said. “We have requested that the GBI conduct an investigation.”

No foul play is suspected, the sheriff’s office said.

Barney was transported to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:31 p.m.

The inmate had been in jail for 296 days and was charged in Dougherty County on counts of forgery, two counts of obstruction of law enforcement officers and three counts of identity theft fraud. He was also being held on charges of failure to appear and probation violation for other law enforcement agencies.

The last inmate death at the facility occurred in early 2025, Ostrander said.