Crime & Safety
Inmate Fatally Stabbed At Fulton Co. Jail ID'd: Sheriff
The 37-year-old inmate was stabbed and killed by another inmate in the jail's day room, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
ATLANTA, GA — A Fulton County Jail inmate who was stabbed to death by another inmate has been identified.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said Friday that Leonard Fortner, 37, was in a jail day room when he was killed Thursday.
Authorities accused Edward Cherry, 36, of stabbing Fortner multiple times around 6:15 p.m. at the jail, killing Fortner.
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The pair were being housed in the same zone, authorities said. Fortner was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 7:40 p.m.
He was arrested on Jan. 2 by Atlanta Police and was charged on suspicion of criminal damage to property, authorities said. He was being held without bond, authorities said.
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Cherry was charged on suspicion of multiple charges including aggravated assault and kidnapping, authorities said. He has been held without bond since April 5, 2020, authorities said.
Atlanta Police is investigating Fortner's death. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy.
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