This past week, the Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the murder convictions of two state prisoners accused of fatally stabbing a one-armed man at Augusta State Medical Prison.  The victim had been a prisoner at Hays State Prison in Trion.

Michael Lorenzo Ward, 49, and Frederick Dewberry, 40, were convicted in 2015 of malice murder and felony murder in connection to the stabbing death of Antonio Wiley, age 30, in  2011. They were convicted of aggravated assault in connection to the stabbing of a second inmate on the same date.

Ward and Dewberry were each sentenced to service life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder charges, plus 20 years for the assault.

Court records indicated that the victim had a hit put out on him by another inmate at Hays State Prison who was a member of the Gangster Disciples.  The hit was placed on the victim over a stolen cell phone battery, according to court documents.

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