WBRC Exclusive: Same jail administrator in place when 2 inmates died in 2 counties

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC has uncovered a new connection between two high-profile in-custody deaths in our area: Justin White was a jail administrator in Walker County when Tony Mitchell died in custody, and White held the same position in Pickens County when former NFL player Glen Foster, Jr., died in custody.

Both men’s families are now suing the counties and sheriff’s offices, and named White in each lawsuit.

The connection here is laid out in federal court documents. We confirmed through multiple sources that White was the jail administrator for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office when Glen Foster died in December 2021.

White was also jail administrator for Walker County Sheriff’s Office when Tony Mitchell died in January 2023.

To be clear, White has not been criminally charged in either case, but he is named in two federal civil lawsuits, claiming he played a role in these deaths.

Glen Foster, Jr. was arrested December 4, 2021 in Pickens County. Two days later, Foster’s family claims White strangled Foster while putting him in a car to take him to the hospital. Foster was dead by the time he arrived at the hospital.

Mitchell was arrested in January 2023 and died two weeks later.

As we first reported Thursday, one of the Walker County correctional officers working at that time has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges and told prosecutors several jail employees lied to medical staff to prevent Mitchell from getting the medical care he needed.

In both cases, the families of Foster and Mitchell claim White contributed to denying medical care for these men, and was notified, in both cases, that Foster and Mitchell suffered with mental health issues and needed immediate care.

In Mitchell’s case, his family accuses White of lying to state investigators about Mitchell’s condition.

Court filings show White and the other defendants are fighting these claims.

White left the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office sometime in 2022 and started to work for the Walker County Sheriff’s Office.

WBRC has reached out to both for statement. The current Pickens County Sheriff did not work with White at any time, and Sheriff Nick Smith has not responded.

We’ve also reached out to White’s lawyers, but haven’t heard back from them yet.

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