Report: Inmate sustains brain injury in beating

3 are charged at Floyd County Jail

Three Floyd County Jail inmates are facing additional charges after they reportedly beat another inmate so badly that he required emergency brain surgery.

According to Floyd County Jail records:

Brandon Kyle Bettis, 27, of Hixson, Tennessee; Jesse Lee Hartley, 32, of 1380 Doyle Road; and Dylan Lee Newberry, 19, listed as homeless, are additionally charged with the felonies aggravated battery, aggravated assault and riot in a penal institute.

The three are accused of beating inmate Christopher James Franklin, 30, of 22 Green Valley Road, Silver Creek, on Thursday night “with the intent to kill or cause serious bodily injury.” The incident happened in the jail’s M Block.

Franklin sustained severe head injuries and lost the use of the right side of his body. He had been arrested that day on felony warrants for failure to appear and aggravated stalking.

Bettis, who is being boarded for Dade County, was arrested Oct. 16 and also has holds for two agencies in Tennessee. He was originally facing felony charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On Dec. 11 he was additionally charged with simple battery.

Newberry has been in jail since Sept. 3 on charges of meth possession and abandonment of dangerous drugs. Hartley was jailed Dec. 19 on an unspecified hold for the Georgia Department of Corrections.