WRIGHTSVILLE, Ga. — A man died at Johnson State Prison on Tuesday, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
They say 27-year-old Zachary Olivar was found early Tuesday morning. His cause of death is undetermined at this time.
There are no reports of a fight or signs of foul play, according to the Department of Corrections.
Johnson County Deputy Coroner Nathan Stanley says prison staff were doing rounds when they found Olivar's body on the ground.
Stanley says Olivar's roommate admitted the pair were "smoking strips."
"Smoking strips" is a practice among inmates where they smoke rolled-up paper coated in bug spray.
Stanley says Olivar was dead for several hours when his body was found.
Olivar's body was turned over to the GBI Crime Lab which will determine the official cause of death.
He was serving 20 years for Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer out of Jones County with a maximum release date of January 2042.
In 2022, 13WMAZ reported a Jones County deputy was shot while conducting a traffic stop on Highway 11 between Wayside and Round Oak.
Deputy John Kile was shot but was hit in his bulletproof vest which saved his life. Kile was able to continue after the driver with the help of deputies Jackson, Sullivan and Officer Farley.
They used tire spikes to safely stop the driver, a then 24-year-old Olivar of Snellville.
The death is being investigated by the GDC’s Office of Professional Standards, as standard procedure; therefore, additional details are not available, as the investigation is ongoing.
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