Families say they are devastated over deaths of corrections officers

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Family members of one of the corrections officers slain Tuesday is talking about how they are devastated over the loss.

The family of Sgt. Curtis Billue shared a photo of him with Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes.

“It was very shocking, it was a surprise,” Billue’s cousin Earl Knight told Fernandes.

Knight said he doesn't understand how Billue and Sgt. Christopher Monica were killed by two inmates while transporting dozens of inmates on a bus Tuesday morning.

Knight said he thought there was a barrier on the bus-- separating prison guards and prisoners -- to prevent something like this from happening.

“It's a hazardous job and he probably worked with the worst kind. These weren't good guys he was handling,” Knight said.

Knight said Curtis leaves behind two sons, five sisters, two brothers and a 95-year-old father.

He said Billue spent a lot of his time with family.

“He was quiet, kind of stayed to himself. He had a great love for his mama and his daddy and he visited his daddy quite a bit after his mother passed,” Knight told Fernandes.

Billue was tired of transporting prisoners, according to his cousin, and was looking to retire soon.

“I don't know how many years he had before he could retire but I did learn that he just got a promotion from the job he was on,” Knight said.

Family members of Monica, the other prison guard killed Tuesday morning, told Fernandes they still need more time before they make any statements. Fernandes said an officer was standing guard outside the house to protect the family.

Fernandes spoke to one Monica’s neighbors, Kimberly Moore. She described what she did when she found out Monica was killed.

“I just face planted in my desk, because I was just like, ‘Monica? Chris? My Chris? Our Chris? How could this even happen?’ And I just fell apart,” Moore said.

Monica's family members have started a GoFundMe page.

Cox Media Group