Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. Hes a manager at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Three inmates from the Lanesboro Correctional Institute in Polkton have been indicted by an Anson County Grand Jury for the September 28, 2012 murder of a fellow inmate, and an assault on a second inmate. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. At Lanesboro, 45 miles southeast of Charlotte, it was common for 42 officers to watch about 1,200 prisoners on the night shift, according to Gregory McCoy, who worked there as a correctional officer from 2009 to 2016. They were planning to go to that unit to settle a dispute with Cook, who belonged to a different gang. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. [9] At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. Opened in the town of Polkton in 2004, the state-run prison has for years been plagued by stabbings, smuggled contraband and allegations of wrongdoing by corrections officers. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. And with Wall's signal after the fact, telling (Vazquez) essentially to be quiet, I don't know what other inference you can draw from it.. He sued and won a $10,000 settlement from the state. He joined the Folk Nation at age 16, was convicted of damaging property soon afterward, and later committed armed robbery, kidnapping and more than a dozen other crimes. But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. Prison surveillance video doesnt capture that meeting, so its unclear what they discussed. Wesley Turnerwas stabbed to death and taken to Anson Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. According to Acree, the prison is temporarily locked down while an investigation begins. Three correctional officers were assaulted late last week at the same state prison where an officer was killed two years ago. Bridges said forensic tests did not conclusively tie any of the weapons in Walls office to the attack on Turner. Both of the attacks involved weapons. Police are asking anyone with information related to the Easley murder to contact them immediately. Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. November 2014 - Five former Lanesboro inmates filed a federal lawsuit alleging that officers at the Anson County prison repeatedly helped gang-affiliated inmates get weapons and wage attacks. Suite 1650 In a court filing, Wall said he never facilitated attacks. [21] Wall was eventually fired in 2013, after Parsons had left Lanesboro and after the homemade shanks were found hidden in the ceiling of Walls office. Once in a lifetime, Murdaugh verdict sends a Lowcountry message: No one is above the law | Opinion, Charlotte Waffle House found with live roach, unclean equipment during health inspection, The top-ranked pie in North Carolina doesnt look like pie at all. Inmates at this prison are kept under close watch and have committed very serious crimes. A lock ( Why fans love it. POLKTON, N.C. -- Authorities in North Carolina say two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers were assaulted with a broom handle in an attack at a state prison. The disclosures raise new questions about the role that corrections officers have played in violence at the high-security prison in Anson County. Wilburn English, a prison sergeant who previously worked at Lanesboro, recalled a day when Parsons and Wall came to talk with him. POLKTON, N.C. - A lieutenant and a sergeant were stabbed by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution around 2 p.m. Thursday and are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals, a In a court filing, he said he never facilitated attacks. Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. The prison is named for the nearby community of Lanesboro. Another prisoner also slips through the door. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer, NC woman who beat 1 in 3.35 million odds shows up to claim her lottery jackpot, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. January 2013 - A former Lanesboro correctional officer began sending letters to state officials, describing several incidents in which some prison officials appeared to collude with gang members. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina, FBI Arrests Corrections Officer For Smuggling A Controlled Substance At Lanesboro Correctional Institution, Former Catawba County Director Of Utilities Is Sentenced To Prison For Accepting Bribes, Former Catawba County Director Of Utilities Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud Conspiracy For Accepting Bribes, North Carolina State Legislator Pleads Guilty To Making A False Statement To A Bank. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. Ten months later, significant amounts of contraband including video recordings and three bloody shanks were found in the ceiling above Walls office, according to his dismissal letter. At Polk Correctional Institution, north of Durham, two or three officers are routinely put in charge of monitoring more than 200 inmates in the chow hall, said Sierra Gravitte, an officer who this month resigned from the prison after four years on the job. He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. ", "The inmates literally say, 'You all are understaffed, so if we wanted to, we could overtake this prison.' It did not appear to be a normal prison relationship that a correctional officer should have with inmates, Underwood said. Prison officials considered that a clear threat to staff. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. A video taken inside Lanesboro Correctional Institution shows prison officials gesturing to suspects in an inmate's 2012 murder to keep their mouths shut after the killing, lawyers who. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. Before he left in 2016 to oversee 15 state prisons in western North Carolina, Mitchell told the Observer: Im certain there are people involved with gang activity that work here.. - A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has indicted Erice Lemond Blyther, 46, of Hoffman, N.C., for smuggling a controlled substance at Lanesboro Correctional Institution while employed as a correctional officer. Theyre within feet of an officer who controls the locked door to the block. He was sentenced to 32 to 48 months. The Carandiru massacre (Portuguese: Massacre do Carandiru, Portuguese: [msaki du kdiu]) occurred on Friday, 2 October 1992, in Carandiru Penitentiary in So Paulo, Brazil, when military police stormed the penitentiary following a prison riot.The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. Blyther is charged with use of interstate facility to facilitate bribery, which carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine; extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine; and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. But while North Carolina typically hires about 1,800 to 2,000 prison officers per year, it usually loses about that many as well. About 60 inmates were also near Callahan when she was attacked on April 26, Jernigan said. Early on the morning of Nov. 15, 2013, Lanesboro had just four officers in the chow hall to oversee the 100 inmates who were there for breakfast, McCoy said. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. Bridges and a prison captain searched the ceiling and found videos of prison fights, nine rods, a long metal shank and three bloody shanks. Jurors deliberated for about half an hour before convicting Mikel. [16] The group is believed to be responsible for the death of Jos Ismael Pedrosa, the director of the prison at the time. This story was originally published December 4, 2014, 6:58 PM. [5] No policemen were injured. [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. Officers and prisoners say he had a reputation for doing favors for gang members. He died helping me, Cook wrote in a letter to the Observer. programs we write about. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says a lieutenant and a sergeant were stabbed by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton around 2 p.m. Thursday. They contended those numbers constitute "sensitive public security information.". Wesley Turner has come to defend Cook, his friend. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. News anchor Fred Shropshire is leaving Charlotte station WCNC. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. But it was sometimes hard for prison officers to find those shanks, Parsons said. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. One inmate dead, another injured in prison incident, Medical Marijuana bill passes NC Senate; some cannabis supporters against bill, 8-year-old helps raise money for favorite Waffle House worker in need of car, PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Cook said he met him in 2001, when Turner came to his aid in a fight against correctional officers. Inmate Donny Mosley, who is serving time for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, had slashed her face and neck with a razor-like weapon. SBI agents who investigated the killing said in interviews this week that they have no proof that corrections officers were trying to help the assailants. Guards allegedly opened Staff researcher Maria David and editor Rogelio Aranda contributed. There are no national standards for minimum staffing at prisons, experts say. At Bertie, Callahan was responding to a fire set inside a trash can on the evening of April 26 when an inmate beat her to death with the fire extinguisher she'd brought to douse the flames, state officials say. Friends and family described Juan Ortiz-Castillo as very jealous of his wife, according to police. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. The massacre also received attention from the BBC with several articles in the last several years dealing with the vigils and the trials. Correctional officers were also prohibited from accepting gifts from inmates, performing favors for inmates, or providing inmates with narcotic drugs or any other item forbidden by LCI rules. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. Its clearly not a place where theyre learning to go the straight and narrow, he said. [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, Get ready to change your clocks. It's as simple as that.". Daniel Roberts, one of the lawyers, said at a sentencing hearing that the footage suggests prison officials may have sanctioned the attack or looked the other way. 227 West Trade St. Parsons, now retired, testified Tuesday that during his time at Lanesboro, he took a number of steps to reduce violence and keep weapons out of the hands of inmates. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. For almost two years, an Observer reporter exchanged letters with inmate Christopher Cook, who described what led to the attack that killed Turner. The officer opens the door for an inmate, and the three gang members follow him into a cell block where they dont belong. Although the UN urged Brazil to bring justice to those most affected by the slaughter in September 2016, the court declared the trial on Carandiru massacre null. In my opinion, it didnt seem logical to hide them in the ceiling, she said. State prison leaders refused requests for all surveillance videos that show incidents in which Wall is accused of helping inmates wage attacks. First published on September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. Do you want to share documents or information about the North Carolina prisons? To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate. He had 43. One of those officers fell and hurt her knee when she went to Callahan's defense, Jernigan said. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. There, Ortiz and Zelaya-Sorto attacked and seriously injured inmate Christopher Cook. In 2012, an inmate filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Lanesboro corrections officers cracked his skull with a baton and then destroyed a surveillance video that showed the assault. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The inmate was always in his office, and that was kind of unusual, Covington said. Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. But Daniel Roberts, one of the attorneys, told a judge at a court hearing that the videos and other evidence suggest prison officials either sanctioned the attack or looked the other way. The suits also contend that Wall facilitated attacks on two other inmates the same year Turner was killed. Bridges said she reviewed hours of surveillance video and saw that inmates frequently visited the office of an assistant prison manager a practice that she believed posed a danger to officers. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. Attorneys for the state quizzed Wynn why he didnt take steps that might have allowed him to avoid the attack. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? In Lanesboro, as in many other prisons, gangs often battle for control over drugs and cellphones a lucrative trade for both inmates and corrupt officers. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. The dismissal letter, signed by Lanesboros acting administrator at the time, called Walls statement a clear threat of injury or harm to staff.. Two pending federal lawsuits allege that Wall and his officers sold weapons to gang members. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. Prison officials refused to allow reporters to interview Cook in prison, citing mental health concerns and a policy that does not allow media interviews with inmates in solitary confinement. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Angela Smith, who worked as. February 2017 - Former officer Evangeline Hunt was charged with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. But, Cook said, Turner usually kept to himself. The crackdown has reduced assaults, a DPS spokesman said. Prosecutors later dismissed the charge because of problems with the credibility of witnesses. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. ", NC prison was understaffed when Sgt. Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. Turner reportedly belonged to the same gang as Cook and was trying to go to his defense. Around 1:30 P.M., two groups got into a fight after a game of football; the fight quickly escalated into a prison riot that lasted three hours. Please enter valid email address to continue. Heres a look at incidents at Lanesboro Correctional Institution since its opening in 2004: January 2009 - Inmate Bill Rayburn alleged he was repeatedly pepper-sprayed by correctional officers twice while he was naked after he requested medical help. The military was given full command of the prison when arriving about 2:30 P.M..[4] Though the director wanted to negotiate with the prisoners by a megaphone, he was held back by his staff since the police almost crushed him. Prison officials investigated the murder, but refused to provide the Observer their report. Lock One inmate warned Lanesboro prison officials that Latino gang members were armed with homemade knives and planning an attack. Many of those videos were labeled with the words use of force a term that describes the force used by law enforcement officers to control unruly people. Authorities believe all three of the convicted inmates had homemade knives, commonly known as shanks. Less than an hour after the fight, SBI agent Audria Bridges began investigating the murder. Often, observers say, officers let inmates visit and congregate in administrative offices. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. According to the indictment, between August and September 2018, while employed at LCI as a correctional officer, Blyther accepted a bribe to smuggle a controlled substance into the LCI on behalf of an inmate housed at the facility. And, he said, they would even go so far as to tie dental floss around forbidden items, flush them down the toilet before a cell search and later use the dental floss to retrieve them.
Bruce Raynor Net Worth,
Spanish Memorial Quotes,
Sema Membership Directory 2022,
Intentful Vs Intentional,
Articles L
