Sheriff says man held at problem-plagued jail in Atlanta was stabbed to death by another detainee

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said Atlanta police are investigating after a man being held at the county jail, which is under federal investigation, was stabbed to death by another detainee.

The sheriff's office says 37-year-old Leonard Fortner was stabbed multiple times by 36-year-old Edward Cherry just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Fortner was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m.

The stabbing happened in the day room of the housing zone where both men lived, the sheriff's office said. The Fulton County medical examiner's office will do an autopsy.

Fortner had been in the jail since Jan. 2 and was being held without bond on a criminal damage to property charge, the sheriff’s office said. Cherry had been in the jail since April 5, 2020, and was being held without bond on various charges, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.

Cherry faces new charges of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony as a result of the stabbing, the sheriff's office said. The county court website remains down after a hack in January, so it wasn't clear whether he had an attorney who could comment.

The Justice Department’s civil rights division last year announced an investigation into jail conditions in Fulton County, citing violence, filthy conditions and the death of a man whose body was found covered in insects in September 2022.

Ten people died in Fulton County custody last year, according to the sheriff’s office. Fortner is the second person to die in county custody this year.