Fossett family seeks justice after DA declines charges in inmate death; DA responds
The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office’s decision not to charge the deputies involved in the death of inmate Stephen Fossett has left his family with a wave of disappointment, sadness and anger.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office’s decision not to charge the deputies involved in the death of inmate Stephen Fossett has left his family with a wave of disappointment, sadness and anger.
On Thursday, the family, alongside their attorneys, held a news conference to respond to the decision.
Fossett’s family has been vocal about their grief and frustration. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis, pointed to systemic failures within the jail system, arguing that Fossett, who had paranoid schizophrenia, should never have been placed in a jail environment.
“That’s the issue is that he should have never been there,” he said. “They put these deputies in a predicament to deal with someone who really needs the support of mental health experts.”
Details surrounding Fossett’s death show that he was under the influence of synthetic marijuana at the time of the incident, raising serious concerns about how the substance entered the jail.
“How would he get access to this synthetic marijuana, and why is that not a concern?” Davis asked, criticizing the sheriff’s office for failing to ensure the safety of inmates with mental health conditions.
Paula Platt, Fossett’s mother, expressed her disappointment with the findings of the investigation.
“It just made our family more determined to get to the truth… We just want to get justice for Stephen as anybody would want to get justice for their loved one,” she said.
While the District Attorney’s Office said its decision was limited to criminal charges, the family’s attorneys are now shifting their focus to civil liability.
“There was absolutely some liability on behalf of the county sheriff’s office for what happened to Mr. Fossett,” the attorneys said.
The attorneys, along with Fossett’s brother Keshawn, have reviewed video footage of the incident, describing it as heartbreaking and a disregard for human life.
“They were basically just hanging around in the medical unit, just shooting the breeze,” said Attorney Nathan Fitzpatrick, referencing the moment deputies noticed something was wrong “And all of a sudden, somebody said, ‘Hey, this guy’s not breathing any more. Then all of a sudden, pandemonium breaks out. You know, if the videos are released, you guys can see this.”
The news conference also addressed larger concerns about mental health care within detention facilities.
“This is about change and making sure that there’s no other family in Macon-Bibb County that has to deal with this. It’s a training issue—it’s a transparency issue,” Fitzpatrick said.
In their continued pursuit of justice and accountability, the legal team has submitted a records request to the sheriff’soffice, demanding the full release of all video footage related to the case.
DA Anita Howard releases statement on investigation process
Following the family’s news conference, District Attorney Anita Howard issued a public statement responding to concerns about the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigating its own deputies:
“I want to address the concerns raised by the family regarding the Sheriff’s Office conducting its own investigation into this incident. I fully understand and empathize with these concerns.
When law enforcement investigates its own officers, it naturally raises questions about objectivity and impartiality—regardless of how professionally the investigation is conducted. These concerns are valid and deserve our attention.
This is precisely why I have consistently advocated that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) should be called in to handle all use of force deaths regardless of where they occur. Having an independent state agency conduct these sensitive investigations represents best practices in law enforcement and is already standard procedure in many Georgia jurisdictions. The involvement of an independent investigative body like the GBI helps ensure these critical cases are handled with transparency, thoroughness, and impartiality, while also expediting the investigative process.
While the Sheriff has the authority to request GBI assistance at any point, in this case, our office had to formally request GBI involvement after learning about the incident through media inquiries rather than direct notification.
Moving forward, I remain committed to pushing for this procedural change because it serves the interests of justice, strengthens public trust, and provides families with the assurance that investigations into their loved ones’ cases are conducted with the highest standards of independence and integrity.”
