A 73-year-old man died at the DeKalb County Jail on Saturday, July 18, after staff found him unresponsive in his housing unit, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said in a media advisory released Sunday, July 19.
John Parazzo was pronounced dead after jail medical personnel and emergency medical services attempted life-saving measures, according to the advisory. The sheriff's office said the incident appears to be a medical emergency and that investigators do not suspect foul play.
The official cause of death has not been determined. Both the sheriff's office internal investigators and the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office are conducting separate reviews.
The sheriff's office has not released details about Parazzo's medical history or why he was in custody.
DeKalb County Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said the office is "committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our Sheriff's Office operations" and extended condolences to Parazzo's family. The sheriff's office said it will have no additional comments at this time.
Why it matters locally
The DeKalb County Jail, located in Decatur, houses inmates from across the county, including Dunwoody and Brookhaven. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office, which serves both cities, is required under the Georgia Death Investigation Act to investigate all deaths occurring while a person is in law enforcement custody.
The jail, which is more than 30 years old, has faced scrutiny over its conditions. In December 2025, Sheriff Maddox described it as "an aging facility that's deteriorating right before our eyes" after three inmates escaped through a compromised portion of a cell.
What's next
The Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause of death; no timeline for that finding has been made public.
Residents with questions about DeKalb County jail operations can contact the sheriff's office at 404-298-8110. This is a developing story that will be updated when the Medical Examiner releases findings.
