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'Haven't been formally notified': Family of victim allegedly killed by escaped inmate upset over handling

David Rogers reacts to Joey Fournier escaping Bibb County Jail nearly two years after he allegedly killed his sister.

MACON, Ga. — Only one of the four escaped inmates from the Bibb County Jail is facing a murder charge.

Joey Fournier was charged with murder after he supposedly strangled Cynthia Berry. 

Berry's brother David Rogers expressed his anger, concern and hope for the future after the man who is accused of killing his sister is on the loose.

"The initial reaction is a little bit of anger," Rogers said.

Rogers found his sister Cynthia Berry dead in her home back in Febuary 2022. 

But when the man accused of killing his sister escaped from jail, Rogers didn't get the news the way he expected to.

"We still haven't been formally notified. We were notified through the media, but from my understanding, no one knew for five to six hours after the escape happened...that's incompetent," Rogers said.

Rogers heard about where Fournier was being held and had only one question: why?

"I heard that he was being held in the oldest part of the jail," Rogers said. "Why is someone who is obviously a flight risk and a danger to society who is being held on these accusations without bond being held in an area that is obviously not secure."

Rogers says the problem starts at the top.

"Obviously we need better leadership. We need someone who is leading well, who is guarding prisoners well, we need communication — better communication. We need secure facilities. We need personnel in place to guard these individuals who are accused of these crimes to make sure our communities are safe," Rogers said.

Rogers is praying that the inmates are captured before anyone else is hurt.

"I hope it doesn't take someone else's family member being harmed or murdered —lord forbid — for them to wake up and realize that something must be done immediately to secure our jail facilities in Macon-Bibb County," Rogers said.

Rogers said he's grateful to the men and women who serve in the sheriff's office. His biggest concern lies within the leadership of the department.

He thinks this should serve as a wake-up call for something to be done about their facilities.

Rogers said he hasn't heard any updates about his sister's case or anything about a trial start date since last year.

MORE THAN A NUMBER

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More Than A Number is a Poynter-Stand Together award-winning project by Justin Baxley designed to help families of loved ones impacted by tragedy and trauma interact with journalists in a less intrusive way. Families are able to fill out a form about their family and also receive an in-depth guide on the next steps.

More Than A Number officially launched in August with a streaming special available on 13WMAZ+ for on-demand streaming. For any questions or concerns about More Than A Number, contact us here at the following email: MoreThanANumber@13wmaz.com.

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