OSINT Report: Jesus Molina-Veya - ICE Detention Suicide¶
Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Jesus Molina-Veya - Death by suicide at Stewart Detention Center
Type: detention-death
Confidence: HIGH
PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: CORECIVIC
Facility operated by CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America) — a for-profit prison corporation. CoreCivic operates Stewart Detention Center where Molina-Veya died by suicide amid severe overcrowding and inadequate mental health care. See Infrastructure for full contractor profiles.
Executive Summary¶
On June 7, 2025, Jesus Molina-Veya, a 45-year-old Mexican national, died by suicide at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. He was found with a ligature around his neck in his cell and pronounced dead at 6:42 PM. This was the third confirmed suicide at Stewart since 2006, and the 13th death at the facility overall. The death occurred amid severe overcrowding (25% population increase in 5 months) and documented inadequate mental health care at the for-profit CoreCivic-operated facility. Advocates cite systemic failures including use of solitary confinement on mentally ill detainees, inept mental health screening, and deadly detention conditions. Congressional investigation initiated.
1. VICTIM PROFILE¶
Jesus Molina-Veya¶
Personal Information:
- Age: 45 years old
- Nationality: Mexico
- Immigration Status: Entered US illegally multiple times
- Removal proceedings: Since 2020
Mental Health & Substance Abuse History:
- Mental health issues: Documented (specific conditions not publicly disclosed)
- Prior suicide attempt: History of at least one previous suicide attempt
- Substance abuse: Documented history
- Mental health screening: "Denied" having mental health problems during intake screening
Criminal History:
- Multiple prior convictions
- Drug possession charges
- Multiple illegal entries to US
2. STEWART DETENTION CENTER CONTEXT¶
Facility Background¶
Operator: CoreCivic (private prison corporation, formerly Corrections Corporation of America)
Location: Lumpkin, Georgia
Capacity: 2,000 detainees
Type: For-profit ICE detention facility
Operational since: 2006
Overcrowding Crisis (2025)¶
January 2025: ~1,500 detainees (75% capacity)
June 2025: 1,800+ detainees (90%+ capacity)
Increase: 25% population surge in 5 months
Reported Conditions:
- Detainees sleeping on floors
- Severe overcrowding in cells
- Deteriorating conditions
- Inadequate resources for population
3. DEATH TIMELINE¶
June 7, 2025:
Discovery:
- Molina-Veya found in his cell
- Condition: Ligature around neck
- Staff immediately called 911
911 Call (dispatch records):
- Dispatcher: "Is he breathing?"
- Staff response: "Negative"
~3 Minutes Post-Call:
- Staff cut ligature from around neck
- CPR administered by facility personnel
- EMS arrived (exact time not specified)
Transport:
- Transferred to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center
6:42 PM:
- Pronounced dead by medical professionals
- Manner of Death: Suicide by hanging (Stewart County Coroner ruling)
4. OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS¶
Stewart County Coroner¶
Ruling: Suicide by hanging
Autopsy: Completed (details not publicly released)
ICE Response¶
Official Statement: Confirmed death by suicide
Internal Review: Initiated per standard protocol
Findings: Not publicly released as of research date
Congressional Investigation¶
U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock (D-GA):
- September 23, 2025: Letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
- Demanded federal investigation into Stewart Detention Center deaths
- Third death in Georgia ICE custody that year (including Molina-Veya and Avellaneda-Delgado)
- Raised systemic concerns about mental health care
5. PATTERN ANALYSIS: STEWART DETENTION CENTER DEATHS¶
Suicide History at Stewart (2006-2025)¶
Total Deaths: 13 deaths in custody since 2006
Suicides: 3 confirmed suicides (including Molina-Veya)
Prior Suicide Cases¶
1. JeanCarlo Jimenez-Joseph (May 2017):
- Age: 27, Panamanian national
- Mental health: Diagnosed with schizophrenia
- Solitary confinement: 19 days before death
- Suicide: Hanging in cell
- Key finding: Staff aware of schizophrenia diagnosis
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation: "Repeatedly displayed suicidal behavior, but never got the mental health care he needed"
- Systemic failures: Staff ignored requests for medical care, falsified records to cover up wrongdoing
2. Efrain Romero de la Rosa (May 2018):
- Age: 40, Honduran national
- Mental health: Diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
- Solitary confinement: 21 days in isolation
- Suicide: Last day in solitary confinement
- Key finding: CoreCivic staff neglected proper mental health care despite known diagnoses
- UN assessment: Solitary for mentally ill = "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment"
3. Jesus Molina-Veya (June 2025):
- Age: 45, Mexican national
- Mental health: Documented issues, prior suicide attempt
- Screening failure: "Denied" mental health problems during intake
- Context: Severe overcrowding, 25% population increase
6. SYSTEMIC FAILURES AT STEWART¶
Mental Health Care Inadequacies¶
Screening Failures:
- Molina-Veya "denied" mental health problems during screening
- History shows screening insufficient to detect at-risk individuals
- Prior suicide attempt not flagged as high-risk
Treatment Gaps:
- "Inept mental health care" (advocacy organizations)
- Inadequate mental health services for population needs
- Overcrowding reduces access to mental health providers
Solitary Confinement Abuse¶
2016-2018 Data:
- 6,559 detainees placed in solitary confinement
- Up to 23 hours per day in isolation
- 40% had mental illness
- 4,000+ held over 15 days in solitary
International Standards Violation:
- UN Convention against Torture: Solitary for mentally ill = torture
- Both Jimenez-Joseph and Romero spent weeks in solitary before suicide
- Pattern of using solitary as mental health "solution"
Overcrowding & Conditions¶
Documented Issues:
- Unsanitary conditions
- Forced labor
- Use of force against detainees
- Inadequate nutritious food
- Insufficient hygiene supplies
- Poor sleep conditions
- Medical neglect
Lethal Combination:
- Deprivation of freedom
- Isolation
- Uncertainty about future
- Abysmal physical conditions
- Creates environment conducive to mental health crises
7. PROTOCOL VIOLATIONS & CONCERNS¶
ICE Mental Health Standards (PBNDS 2011/2019)¶
Required:
1. Comprehensive mental health screening at intake
2. Identification of suicide risk factors
3. Ongoing mental health monitoring
4. Access to mental health professionals
5. Specialized housing for mentally ill
6. Prohibition on solitary for serious mental illness
Potential Violations:
1. Inadequate Screening:
- Molina-Veya had prior suicide attempt but "denied" problems
- Screening failed to detect high-risk individual
- No evidence of specialized assessment for history of attempts
2. Inappropriate Housing:
- Unknown if Molina-Veya in specialized mental health unit
- General population housing inadequate for suicidal individuals
3. Overcrowding Impact:
- 90%+ capacity reduces staff-to-detainee ratios
- Less monitoring of at-risk individuals
- Reduced mental health provider access
4. CoreCivic Contract Compliance:
- For-profit model incentivizes cost-cutting
- Mental health care expensive
- Pattern of inadequate care at CoreCivic facilities
8. ADVOCACY RESPONSE¶
Detention Watch Network Demands¶
Immediate Actions:
1. Close Stewart Detention Center permanently
2. Release all detainees, especially vulnerable populations:
- Those with mental health conditions
- Pregnant individuals
- Those with serious medical issues
3. End immigration detention system entirely
Accountability:
- Hold ICE accountable for deaths
- Hold CoreCivic accountable as operator
- Swift congressional action
Pattern of Deaths in ICE Custody¶
National Context:
- 254+ deaths in ICE custody since 2003
- 13 deaths in FY2025 (as of Molina-Veya's death)
- 17 deaths in Georgia ICE custody historically
- 2025 on track for deadliest year in two decades
9. GAPS & UNVERIFIED INFORMATION¶
What Remains Unclear:
- Specific mental health diagnoses: What conditions did Molina-Veya have?
- Full screening records: What questions asked? How answered?
- Prior suicide attempt details: When? Where? How serious?
- Housing unit: Was he in general population or mental health unit?
- Solitary confinement: Was he ever placed in isolation? For how long?
- Last wellness check: When was he last seen alive?
- Ligature material: What did he use? Where obtained?
- Video evidence: Does cell/unit have cameras? Footage reviewed?
- Staff training: What suicide prevention training do CoreCivic guards receive?
- ICE internal review findings: Will they be released?
10. KEY FINDINGS¶
Confirmed Facts (High Confidence):¶
- Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, Mexican national, died June 7, 2025 at Stewart Detention Center
- Death by suicide (hanging with ligature in cell)
- Coroner ruled suicide; pronounced dead 6:42 PM
- Had mental health issues and prior suicide attempt
- "Denied" mental health problems during screening
- Third suicide at Stewart since 2006, 13th death overall
- Facility 90%+ capacity (25% increase in 5 months)
- Congressional investigation initiated
Systemic Failures (High Confidence):¶
- Stewart has documented history of inadequate mental health care
- Two prior suicides (2017, 2018) involved mentally ill detainees in solitary confinement
- Facility operated by for-profit CoreCivic corporation
- Overcrowding at time of death
- Pattern of mental health screening failures
- Use of solitary confinement on mentally ill (4,000+ cases, 2016-2018)
Critical Questions (Medium-High Confidence of Concern):¶
- Did screening adequately assess prior suicide attempt?
- Was he receiving mental health treatment?
- Could overcrowding have prevented adequate monitoring?
- Is for-profit model compatible with adequate mental health care?
11. SYSTEMIC CONCERNS¶
For-Profit Detention & Mental Health:
- CoreCivic incentivized to minimize costs
- Mental health care expensive
- Pattern of inadequate care across CoreCivic facilities
- No independent oversight of mental health services
Screening & Monitoring Failures:
- Intake screening insufficient to detect at-risk individuals
- Self-reporting unreliable (detainees may hide symptoms)
- Overcrowding reduces monitoring capacity
- Staff training inadequate for mental health recognition
Detention as Mental Health Crisis:
- Uncertainty about deportation exacerbates mental illness
- Isolation from family/community
- Trauma from detention experience itself
- Creates suicidal ideation in previously stable individuals
Solitary Confinement:
- Still used at Stewart despite suicides
- International torture standards violated
- Exacerbates mental illness
- Directly contributed to 2017 and 2018 suicides
FINAL ASSESSMENT¶
Overall Confidence: HIGH
What We Know For Certain:
A 45-year-old man with documented mental health issues and a prior suicide attempt died by suicide at Stewart Detention Center during a period of severe overcrowding. He was the third suicide at the facility, following two others (2017, 2018) where mentally ill detainees killed themselves after extended solitary confinement. Screening failed to identify him as high-risk despite his history. The facility is operated by for-profit CoreCivic and has documented inadequate mental health care.
Critical Questions:
1. Why did intake screening fail to flag prior suicide attempt as high-risk?
2. Was he receiving mental health treatment at time of death?
3. How does 90%+ capacity affect suicide prevention monitoring?
4. Will Stewart Detention Center be closed after third suicide?
5. Should CoreCivic be allowed to operate ICE facilities?
Significance:
This death exemplifies lethal failures in ICE detention mental health care:
- For-profit operators prioritizing cost over care
- Screening inadequacy despite known risk factors
- Overcrowding reducing monitoring capacity
- Pattern of suicides at same facility
- Use of solitary confinement as punishment instead of treatment
- Systemic failure to protect vulnerable populations
- Detention environment itself as mental health hazard
Disclaimer:
This report compiled from publicly available sources as of February 5, 2026. Full mental health records protected by privacy laws. ICE internal review findings unreleased. Congressional investigation ongoing. Use responsibly and verify independently.
Research completed: February 5, 2026
Methodology: OSINT Cycle with three-source verification
Sources: 12+ sources including ICE reports, coroner ruling, congressional inquiry, advocacy organizations, investigative journalism on Stewart history
Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only