The death of a Fulton County inmate at the Cobb County Jail has been ruled a homicide

The death of a Fulton County inmate at the Cobb County Jail early Friday morning has been ruled a homicide and his cellmate has been charged with murder.

Horace Gibbs, 63, of Atlanta, became unresponsive after his cellmate, Ernest Johnson, 52, of Fairburn, notified police, according to a news release from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. Gibbs was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The news release said an autopsy by the Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide.

Johnson was charged with murder and aggravated strangulation by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division for allegedly killing Gibbs.

Gibbs and Johnson were Fulton County Jail inmates housed at the Cobb County Jail. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is relocating inmates to Cobb County, Oconee County and the Atlanta City Detention Center due to overcrowding.

Gibbs was arrested on September 2, 2022 by the Atlanta Police Department for trespassing, willful obstruction of an officer and simple assault on a police officer/police dog/correctional officer or detention officer. He was held on a $12,500 bond.

Johnson was arrested by the Union City Police Department on September 6 on three counts of terroristic threats and acts and two counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers. He was held on a $6,500 bond.