Inmate death ruled suicide
By Anne Marie Kyzer Staff Writer

Ezumer Palmer was found hanged in the Burke County jail four days after being arrested on trafficking charges.

A jury ruled that the hanging death of an inmate in the Burke County Jail was indeed a suicide.

Last Friday's ruling came as part of a formal inquest held to determine whether Ezumer "Shorty" Palmer's death in February was a suicide, homicide or an undetermined manner of death.

Burke County Coroner Betty White presided over the inquest, which lasted nearly all day. She said this was the first one held here in 25 years.

Six jurors heard testimony from some 27 witnesses, including family members, investigators, inmates at the jail and others related to the case.

White and District Attorney Danny Craig questioned the witnesses, and unlike a trial, jurors were able to ask questions as well.

After hearing testimony, jurors deliberated for more than an hour and a half before delivering their verdict.

White said Palmer's family remains unsatisfied with the finding.

While White had expressed hope that the inquest would bring the family some closure, she said after the proceeding that relatives were still troubled by unanswered questions.

Family members' main concern revolved around the torn bed sheet used in the hanging.

"We couldn't answer where the other part of the bed sheet was," White said. "It didn't come out in all of the testimony."

Johnnie Mae Terrell, who lived with Palmer for 20 years, and Palmer's sister, Christine Evans, both testified that Palmer had a bond hearing scheduled the day he was found dead. They said he would not have killed himself knowing that he had a chance of getting out of jail.

However, Craig said that no one had been able to verify that any such hearing was scheduled to take place.

Palmer was arrested Feb. 1 of this year after deputies and federal agents found two kilos, or 4.4 pounds of cocaine, worth about $200,000, and more than $50,000 cash in his Keysville home.

Four days later, Palmer was found dead in his cell at the county jail when guards began waking inmates that morning.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation called the death a suicide after their initial investigation.

According to officials with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Palmer served a ten-year prison sentence in the early 90s after he was arrested on drug charges. Palmer was used as a witness in several cases against other defendants.

DEA agent Patrick Clayton said they began investigating Palmer again after receiving information that he was back in the narcotics trafficking business.

Clayton testified that he told Palmer the day of his arrest that he would be looking at a "virtual life sentence" if he did not cooperate with authorities.