BIBB COUNTY, Ga — Families of people who died while in custody at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center say their questions remain unanswered — as their concerns grow.
The jail, built 46 years ago, is now operating roughly 100 inmates over capacity, according to Sheriff David Davis.
As reports of violence and inmate deaths continue, survivors and loved ones left behind say the conditions inside the facility — particularly for people experiencing mental health crises — demand closer scrutiny.
Bibb County Law Enforcement Center Credit: Gloria Ruth Finney, WGXA
Antonio Pauldo is still waiting for answers after his cousin, 55-year-old Rachel Robinson, died while in custody in mid-January.
“She was a very likable individual,” Pauldo said. “She just happened to be an individual that had mental health issues.”
Robinson’s official cause of death has not yet been determined. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case.
Pauldo says his cousin lived with schizophrenia and had an established pattern when experiencing episodes — she sought medical help.
“Whenever Rachel did have an episode, her pattern was to go to the hospital,” he said.
That’s where she was on November 22, 2025, before she was arrested and charged with simple battery on a law enforcement officer. Despite being at the hospital, Robinson was booked into the Bibb County Jail, where she remained for nearly two months until her death.
“She needed medical attention,” Pauldo said.
The concerns echoed by Pauldo are shared by Patrice Dunn, the widow of Kyle Gautney.
Photos of Rachel Robinson (L) and Kyle Gautney (R) Credit: Antonio Pauldo and Patrice Dunn (WGXA)
Gautney died in custody in June of 2025 — just one week after being booked into the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center for the second time. Law enforcement has said his death was a suicide, stating he hanged himself inside his cell.
Dunn, however, questions that conclusion. Though such a conclusion has yet to be confirmed. Unlike most in-custody deaths, usually overseen by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which usually oversees all in-custody death investigations within the state, BSO released a statement nearly a month following Gautney’s death, that the investigation was being handled internally:
“The incident is being investigated by Internal Affairs Investigators from the Bibb Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards.”
“I just didn’t see him wanting to kill himself,” Dunn said. “So, I immediately thought that he had been murdered, or that he had been severely beaten.”
Dunn says her husband was in the process of trying to turn his life around and had been ‘clean,’ but relapsed after learning his mother had stage-four cancer, and had less than a month to live.
She added that if her husband did take his own life, she believes the conditions inside the jail played a role.
“If he took his life, it’s because they led him to it,” she said.
Pauldo and Dunn each described conditions they have heard of by word of mouth from other inmates. WGXA previously requested a tour of the jail, but the request was denied.
Scrutiny of mental health policies
Both families say the jail’s handling of inmates with mental illness raises serious concerns.
In Oct, of 2025, WGXA’s Leah Kincaid requested the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures for arresting individuals in a mental health crisis, as well as how inmates with mental health needs are handled once inside the jail.
The Sheriff’s Office provided a redacted, one-page document outlining steps deputies should take when encountering someone displaying signs of mental illness. Those steps include:
Taking time to evaluate the situationAvoiding abuse or threatsAvoiding unnecessary excitementProviding assurance that the deputy is there to helpAttempting to problem-solveGathering as much information as possible
That final directive — to “gather as much information as possible” — stands out to families who say questioning and pressure can worsen a mental health crisis rather than stabilize it.
“If the only people in the jail are guards who don’t have the capability or knowledge to handle mental illness,” Pauldo said, “it’s like people with mental health issues are being thrown to the wayside.”
Broader concerns beyond mental illness
Pauldo and Dunn say the issue extends beyond mental health alone.
“You’ve got homeless people, non-violent people, people who don’t have the money to bond out,” Dunn said. “They’re just stuck in there.”
Pauldo emphasized that the issues transcend state (and local) politics.
“This is not a Republican or Democratic issue,” Pauldo said. “This is a humanity issue. These people are left inside this facility without a voice.”
Available resources — and unanswered questions
According to the Sheriff’s Office, community mental health resources available to inmates include local hospitals such as Atrium Health Navicent and Piedmont Macon, as well as Crisis Line, Safe House, and River Edge Behavioral Health.
Despite those listed resources, both families say they are still waiting — not just for reform, but for answers.
Autopsy results in both cases are still pending.