2 Muscogee County Jail employees found not at fault in death of man killed by cellmate

Two people were found not at fault in a federal Columbus courtroom in a case involving the killing of an inmate by another inmate at the Muscogee County Jail.

The case involved the death of 39-year-old Eddie Nelson Jr., who was killed by his cellmate, Jayvon Hatchett, in September 2020.

A jury verdict form obtained by the Ledger-Enquirer through Pacer shows the jury found the defendants, Keyvon Sellers and Kimberly Braxton, were not at fault in Nelson’s death.

The jury found evidence showed there was no substantial risk to Nelson that he could be harmed by another inmate, according to the verdict form.

One of Sellers’ attorney’s, Thomas Gristina, provided the following statement on behalf of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office:

“On January 17, 2025, in United States District Court a federal jury found in favor of former Muscogee County Sheriff’s deputy/jailer Keyvon Sellers and a jail clinic nurse, Kimberley Braxton, in the case of Nelson v. Sellers, et al. This case was brought by the family of inmate Eddie Nelson, who was killed in the Muscogee County Jail by another inmate.

“The jury wisely decided that jail intake personnel, including the nurse, were not deliberately indifferent to a substantial risk of harm to inmate Eddie Nelson. We are extremely grateful for the jury’s attention and verdict this week. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is pleased with this result and will continue to ensure the safety and dignity of all inmates in its jail and to ensure that they receive access to quality healthcare and appropriate security.”

Why was Jayvon Hatchett in jail?

Hatchett was in jail, at that time, for stabbing an AutoZone employee in August 2020.

Hatchett, who is Black, told police he attacked the first white person he saw after viewing videos related to the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

A jury found Hatchett guilty of aggravated assault and of using a knife to commit a felony in the attack on store worker Michael Hunt.

Hatchett had been housed with a white cellmate during his first nights in jail with no issues before Nelson became his cellmate.

Nelson had been jailed for violating probation and failing to register as a sex offender.

Hatchett since has pleaded guilty to one charge of malice murder involving Nelson’s death, according to court documents.

Hatchett received a sentence of life with the possibility of parole, according to court documents.