Fulton County

Family demands accountability after Noni Battiste-Kosoko death in Atlanta jail

November 17th, 2023

From left to right: Noni Battiste-Kosoko and, her mother, Shashu Battiste. On Friday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Battiste talks with show host Rose Scott about the lack of answers regarding her daughter’s death at the Atlanta City Detention Center. (Photos courtesy of Shashu Battiste & Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Smart and talented are words that Shashu Battiste uses to describe her daughter, Noni Battiste-Kosoko. Battiste says her daughter wanted to dance and make music and spent a lot of time writing.

Battiste says her daughter had some mental health challenges, but she was not a criminal.

Noni was arrested earlier this year and spent 53 days in jail at the Atlanta City Detention Center for not showing up to court on a misdemeanor charge. On July 11, 2023, she was reportedly found unresponsive in her cell – six days after her 19th birthday.

“Closer Look” spoke with the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, and we were told Noni’s manner of death was undetermined, and there’s no further investigation from their office.

We also spoke with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the Atlanta Police Department – and we received mixed responses. APD said, “The investigation remains highly active at this time.” Fulton County said the “[Sheriff’s Office] internal investigation and the Atlanta Police Department death investigation are closed.”

FCSO provided their initial statement, and they’re still in the process of providing their final report to our newsroom.

On Friday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Battiste, along with Sho Watson, the family’s attorney, talked with show host Rose Scott about what they’ve been told about Noni’s death and the answers they are still seeking from authorities.