In the walls of William Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, a life was cut short on a Tuesday evening. Barry Wardell Gardner, a 33-year-old male inmate, was found in an open-style dormitory on February 22, 2022. He had been stabbed and was pronounced dead at the prison infirmary around 7 p.m. His death was promptly ruled a homicide, prompting an investigation by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.
Gardner had been serving a 13-year sentence for convictions of
burglary and theft. He had already spent 11 years behind bars, with his recent petition for parole having been denied in August of 2021. His death was part of a troubling string of violence within the Alabama prison system and was one of several homicides at the Donaldson facility around that time.
Despite the classification of his death as a homicide and the subsequent investigation, publicly available information does not include details regarding any arrests made in connection with the stabbing. Similarly, there are no reports naming any specific suspects or detailing any charges that may have been filed in the case. The investigation into the death of Barry Wardell Gardner remains without a publicly reported resolution.
