Convicted Killer Instagrams Selfie From Prison, Investigators Flummoxed

A Georgia man serving a life sentence for murdering two teenagers managed to take a selfie from prison Thursday and post it on Instagram. The photo, apparently taken and posted to Instagram’s “story” feature by Jeffrey Hazelwood showed him in prison, wearing all white.

Hazelwood, 21, pleaded guilty to killing to 17-year-olds Natalie Henderson and Carter Davis behind a grocery store in August 2016. Hazelwood reportedly stalked the two teenagers and shot them behind a Publix in Roswell. He was sentenced to life in prison at Baldwin State Prison in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Read: Inmate Hanged In Cell Dead For 10 Hours While Guards Watched Netflix

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution was the first to locate the photo on Instagram and pointed the Georgia Department of Corrections in its direction. The DOC, however, said they were unable to find the picture.

“We did not find any posts,” Jeal Salter, a spokesperson for the DOC, told the Journal-Constitution in an email. “But our investigations team has been alerted.”

The publication sent a screenshot of the photo to the DOC, who said they would investigate it. It remained unclear how Hazelwood would have taken or posted such a photo, as no types of electronic recording devices are allowed inside Georgia prisons. Visitors to the prison are also not allowed to bring in any electronic recording devices.

A March report by the Journal-Constitution revealed that drones were being used to deliver cell phones and other illegal items to prisons in Georgia. State Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier said the organization was working to stop the unmanned drones but was having trouble keeping up.

“We just want to stop it,” Dozier said.

Officers in Georgia confiscated 22,326 cell phones from both inmates and visitors in 2016, according to the report.

Read: Inmates Kill 2 Prison Guards In Georgia, Escape From Custody

Officials said Friday they were investigating how Hazelwood was able to take and post such a photograph but had no further details on the subject.

“We cannot confirm if this is a recent photo,” Gwendolyn Hogan, manager of public affairs for the DOC, told the Journal Constitution. “The agency does have video visitation for our inmates, however, video visitation occurs at kiosks and not on tablets.”