Five indicted in Whitfield County juvenile in-custody death case

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — A Whitfield County Grand Jury indicted five people in connection with a juvenile death that took place in their custody.

A 16-year-old girl was in custody of the Dalton Youth Detention Center.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the girl as Alexis Sluder of Ellijay. She died while in custody on August 27, 2022.

Now, a jury has indicted five employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice in relation to her death.

Whitfield County indicted Maveis Brooks, Russell Ballard, Rebecka Phillips, Monica Headrick and David McKinney.

Brooks was a sergeant at the detention center, Ballard was a cadet and Phillips was an officer. Hedrick was a nurse at the detention center and McKinney was the Detention Center Director.

Brooks, Ballard and Phillips face two counts of first-degree cruelty to children and one count of second-degree cruelty to children.

Hedrick and McKinney both face one count of second-degree cruelty to children.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Dalton Police Department and Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office assisted in the investigation.