Smith State Prison inmate dead following altercation with another inmate, officials say

GLENNVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - One inmate is dead following an altercation at Smith State Prison, Georgia Department of Corrections officials have confirmed to WTOC.

Officials say Nicholas Shafer, who was serving twenty years for Kidnapping out of Newtown County, died after “an altercation with another inmate” on February 8, 2026.

“The body was turned over to the county coroner and will be transported to the GBI crime lab to determine the official cause of death,” officials say. “The death is being investigated as a homicide by the GDC’s Office of Professional Standards, pending autopsy results.”

The Georgia Department of Corrections says additional details are not currently available, as the investigation in Shafer’s death is still ongoing.