Inmate ‘shoots dead female prison cafeteria worker he was in relationship with’
An inmate allegedly shot a female prison food service worker to death who he was in a relationship with.
Jaydrekus Hart is accused of shooting Aureon Shavea Grace, 24, who was working in the Smith State Prison kitchen in rural Georgia, around 4.30am on Sunday.
Hart then turned the gun on himself.
Grace was employed with the food service company Aramark.
‘We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague and our hearts and prayers go out to her family,’ stated Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert. ‘This is a tragedy for all of us.’
An investigation into the crime revealed that the inmate and cafeteria worker had a history.
‘During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a personal relationship existed between Aramark employee Grace and offender Hart,’ a Georgia Department of Corrections spokesperson told The Independent on Monday.
‘A suicide note was also discovered that appears to have been left by offender Hart.’
It was not immediately known how Hart got his hands on the firearm, which investigators recovered.
‘A complete and thorough investigation of what led up to this tragic incident will be carried out,’ the department told the news outlet. ‘GDC Special Agents are responding and are providing staffing support to the facility.’
Hart was serving a 20-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in Carrol County, with his release as far out as June 2043.
Grace was from Statesboro. Her funeral arrangements were not yet completed as of Sunday.
A comment in her obituary guestbook stated that Grace ‘was a really sweet young lady’ and offered ‘sending prayers and love to the family, especially her kids’.
Grace was killed nearly two years after prisoner Casey White was charged with murdering his former lover and corrections officer, Vicky White, after she helped him escape a jail in Florence, Alabama, and the pair led cops on an 11-day hunt.
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