GBI Investigates Inmate Death in Cook County Jail

Adel, GA (December 19, 2024) – At the request of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating an inmate death in the Cook County Jail.

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at about 7:00 a.m., John Vanhouten, age 47, of Adel, GA, was found unresponsive in his cell. Jail officers and responding EMTs attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful.

The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Macon will complete an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Cook County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 896-74711 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.