CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — A 22-year-old Rossville man has pleaded guilty to malice murder in the death of his 71-year-old cellmate at the Catoosa County Jail and was sentenced to life in prison.
On February 10, 2026, Erwin Vanegas entered a guilty plea for the December 5, 2024 assault on Robert White. Chief Judge Brian M. House sentenced Vanegas to serve life in the Georgia Department of Corrections. He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
According to prosecutors, Vanegas repeatedly stomped on White’s head while the victim was lying in his bed inside their shared jail cell. White was transported to a hospital following the assault and died from his injuries on January 18, 2025…