DALTON, GEORGIA: A grand jury has indicted five former employees at a Georgia juvenile detention center over the death of Alexis Sluder in August 2022.
On Friday, September 1, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the indictment of the employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice, reported CBS News.
The 16-year-old girl, who was a student at Gilmer High School, "enjoyed playing softball and being in beauty pageants, where she always won 'Prettiest Smile,'" according to an online obituary.
Who are the employees indicted for Alexis Sluder's death?
A year after the death of Sluder, Rebecka Phillips, an officer, Russell Ballard, a cadet, and Maveis Brooks, a sergeant, faced indictment on one count of second-degree cruelty to children and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children.
The Detention Center Director, David McKinney, and a nurse named Monica Hedrick were also indicted on one count of second-degree cruelty to children.
According to the Associated Press, Sluder had been shifted to the Dalton Youth Center just hours before her death.
"Two previously terminated employees related to the incident and three others were still employed but are now terminated following the indictment," read the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice's statement issued following the indictments on Friday.
How did Alexis Sluder die?
Addressing the tragic death of the teenager, the department stated, "DJJ is committed to the well-being and safety of the individuals entrusted to our care."
"We remain deeply saddened by this tragic incident and continue to hold heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the family of the deceased."
The 16-year-old girl "had been experiencing an adverse reaction" to "an illegal substance she ingested before her admittance into our facility," Whitfield County Coroner said at the time.
An attorney for Sluder's family stated that they are "very satisfied that the Whitfield County Prosecutor’s Office is taking Alexis’s death seriously".
"Alexis died a painful and preventable death, and although this criminal prosecution will not bring her back to her family, it is a step towards accountability," said the lawyer.
"People who are incarcerated are still human beings with constitutional rights to be free from the kind of conduct exhibited by the officers."
"The people in charge had a responsibility to take care of her, but instead, a family lost their teenage daughter. At the end of the day Alexis deserved better," the lawyer concluded, according to WTVC-TV.
