Man attacked by cellmate at a Columbus prison has died, coroner says
A man has died after being assaulted by his cellmate at Rutledge State Prison in Columbus, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said Wednesday.
Bryan said Brandon Keith Bolden, 37, was assaulted by his cellmate and was pronounced dead at the prison Sunday just after 11 p.m. Bolden suffered blunt-force trauma from the attack, Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Bolden was imprisoned after he was convicted of aggravated child molestation in Chattooga County, the Georgia Department of Corrections told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“The death is being investigated by the GDC’s Office of Professional Standards, as standard procedure; however, additional details are not available, as the investigation is ongoing,” Joan Heath, director of communications for Georgia’s corrections department, said in an email.
Officials didn’t identify Bolden’s cellmate or say if the cellmate was facing new charges.
Family had been notified of Bolden’s death, and an autopsy would be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bryan said.
Rutledge State Prison is a medium-security facility for convicted felons on Manor Road in the eastern-most portion of the county, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections website. It holds 640 detainees.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM.