They pepper-spray and beat Vazquez with batons to stop him from stabbing Turner. For months, Bridges tried to make sense of what she saw at the murder scene and on surveillance video. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. They were planning to go to that unit to settle a dispute with Cook, who belonged to a different gang. But he said that Gov. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. No prison officials have been criminally charged. 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. The state has recently made offers to about 400 officer candidates, so the vacancy rate will likely drop, Guice said. Jurors deliberated for about half an hour before convicting Mikel. In an 11-week period in early 2016, more than 15 staff members left Lanesboro under suspicion of wrongdoing, Mitchell said. Follow Press TV on Telegram: http://t.me . Prison leaders say they have begun assigning new officers "career readiness coaches," who provide pointers on dealing with inmates, keeping themselves safe and attaining career goals. A North Carolina inmate has been sentenced to at least 12 more years in prison for the gang-related murder of a fellow inmate, a case that has exposed further problems at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. 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. Wynn alleges that Parsons was willfully and deliberately indifferent to his safety, in violation of his Constitutional right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment. A lawyer for the killer said in a court hearing that he believes prison officials either sanctioned the September 2012 attack or looked the other way. We encourage you to perform your own independent A third inmate involved in the altercation that day Julio Alberto Zelaya-Sorto pleaded guilty last month to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blythers arrest by the FBI. Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. Wall, who joined the prison system in 1995, was fired in August 2013 for willful violation of written rules and creating conditions that increased the chance of death or serious bodily injury, his dismissal letter states. In my opinion, it didnt seem logical to hide them in the ceiling, she said. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. Cook is a leader of the Folk Nation, a rival gang, and he has heard rumors of escalating gang tensions. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. Walls dismissal letter, obtained by The Observer, states that he had hidden bloody weapons in the ceiling of his old office. Those officers must cover two shifts and a number of them are off, sick or on vacation at any given time so only a fraction of the total staff was likely available to work the day shift on April 26. Soon afterward, a corrections officer allowed the inmates into the pod where the murder took place. Meggan Callahan was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution Wednesday evening. [20] In April 2014, 15 additional policemen were sentenced to 48 years. Walls testimony was brief and he did not elaborate on the hidden weapons. Inmates catch a mid-morning nap at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, in Polkton. Inmates within the LCI were prohibited from possessing controlled substances and are permitted to use controlled substances only when prescribed by a medical professional and under the direct supervision of LCI staff. "When you don't have adequate staff to manage the inmates, and there's an incident, unfortunately people can get hurt and sometimes people even die," Webster said. Gregorio Cortez Vazquez, who was accused of stabbing Turner, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday in Anson County Superior Court and was sentenced to up to 16 years. Once in a lifetime, After years of negotiations, GOP leaders reach a breakthrough on Medicaid expansion, Alex Murdaughs attorneys say theyll appeal double-murder conviction, 16-year-old Raleigh teen charged with murder in Robeson County killing, The evidence was clear: Murdaugh juror reveals quick deliberation in SC murder trial, Day 29: Murdaugh sentenced to life, attorneys say theyll appeal to US Supreme Court if needed, What were the deciding factors in the Murdaugh guilty verdict? 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. All three of the Latino inmates had sharp weapons. In a court filing, Wall said he never facilitated attacks. He sued and won a $10,000 settlement from the state. The father was eventually rescued relatively unharmed, but the incident was a reminder of how an incident originating inside a jail or prison can quickly turn into a dangerous situation on the outside. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. [21] The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. In his testimony Tuesday, Wall said he had at one time kept the shanks in a safe in Parsons office but later moved them to his own office. WINDSOR, NC (Ames Alexander and Gavin Off/The Charlotte Observer) - Bertie Correctional Institution was understaffed the month that Sgt. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. Bias Easley was a corrections officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, near Wadesboro. Designed to hold 1,400 inmates, the prison has a staff of about 500. Many listings are from partners who compensate us, which may influence which The weapons were found nearly a year and a half after the deadly fight, and forensic tests did not tie any of them to the attacks on Turner and Cook. He died helping me, Cook wrote in a letter to the Observer. A typical day working at Lanesboro Correctional Institute was a stressful and dangerous job. Roberts and Jeremy Smith, the state-appointed lawyers who represented Vazquez, said they watched prison surveillance video taken on the day Turner was killed and learned the following: Around lunchtime on Sept. 28, 2012, Ortiz and Zelaya-Sorto, along with one or two inmates who were members of a gang called the United Blood Nation, were in an administrative office with Wall and an assistant unit manager. The case was brought before the inter-American Commission by The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Teotnio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch, and in 2000, eight years after the massacre, they condemned Brazil for it. (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. Corrections officers recovered another improvised weapon at the scene a sharpened metal plate, which may have come from a prison door. Wynn, who is serving a life sentence following a 2008 murder conviction, was permanently disabled after one of the attacks, his lawyers say. No, I dont think he would have.. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. Vazquez and Zelaya-Sorto are scheduled for release in 2028. The inmate who spent time with Wall Joseph Sanderlin was involved in at least two attacks at Lanesboro, Wynns attorneys say. Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. A locked padlock "All it would take is for five or ten guys to decide we're going to take over the prison. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. The gashes in the officer's face and neck required 39 stitches. Bertie isn't the only state prison with staffing problems. All three belonged to gangs. It was shocking to see the place wasnt being supervised with more of the restrictions that youd expect in a prison, she said. A prison system veteran who earned about $41,000 a year, Wall was one of Lanesboros four unit managers, overseeing a block with nearly 300 inmates. Angela Smith, who worked as an officer at Tabor Correctional Institution from 2010 to 2014, said she was often asked to work overtime because the prison was so understaffed. They have a very difficult job Most of them do it the right way. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. He reportedly belonged to Cooks gang and planned to go to his defense. Asked to explain the shanks in his ceiling, Wall told his bosses he was planning to put them in a display case to train new staff members. Theyre within feet of an officer who controls the locked door to the block. The FBI investigated the case. According to Bridges, Wall told authorities he kept the shanks in his office because he was planning to put them in a display that would be used to train other officers. Staff researcher Maria David and David Raynor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer contributed. Later, an officer delivered other personal property to Wall, who had been waiting in front of the prison gatehouse. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. Another direct result of the riot and the handling of the riot was the unification of prisoners. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. But minutes later, they are walking through a prison hallway with weapons, headed for a fight. Ortiz, the inmate charged in that stabbing, said his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. Attorneys for the state quizzed Wynn why he didnt take steps that might have allowed him to avoid the attack. 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. Its the few who dont who make problems for everybody.. Drive down U.S. 74 toward the beach and you may not realize its there. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. You're tired. Many of the large maximum-security prisons such as Bertie and Lanesboro are located in rural areas, where recruiting can be difficult. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, Get ready to change your clocks. [11] On 16 February 2006, a Brazilian court voided Guimares' conviction because of mistrial claims; the court accepted his argument that he was only "following orders". Seconds later, Ortiz grabs a shank from his waistband and also begins slashing Cook. Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. Prison officials considered that a clear threat to staff. Bridges and a prison captain searched the ceiling and found videos of prison fights, nine rods, a long metal shank and three bloody shanks. They have nothing to worry about, Wall told the officer, according to the document, because if I wanted to get anyone, I could get them touched from the outside.. But only one shank was recovered. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. 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. The Observer repeatedly tried to reach Wall to discuss the Turner murder and the lawsuit allegations. A video taken inside Lanesboro Correctional Institution shows prison officials gesturing to suspects in an inmates 2012 murder to keep their mouths shut after the killing, lawyers who represented one of the suspects said. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blyther's arrest by the FBI. English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. About 60 inmates were also near Callahan when she was attacked on April 26, Jernigan said. Its so dangerous that some officers begin their work days by asking those coming off the previous shift how many assaults theyve just seen. Forensic tests did not tie any of the shanks in Walls ceiling to the attacks on Turner, according to Bridges, the SBI agent. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. "It's so dangerous," Gravitte said. Official websites use .gov 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. Officers often find that they may become targets outside of the work place for incidents that began inside the jails and prisons in which they work. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS One inmate warned Lanesboro prison officials that Latino gang members were armed with homemade knives and planning an attack. Others believe that it was somehow connected to his job. On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. [22][23] The court judged that the massacre was an act of self-defense and that there was a lack of evidence to link the individual officers to the individual killings. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. A former high-ranking administrator accused of fostering violence at one of North Carolinas most dangerous prisons acknowledged in federal court Tuesday that he kept homemade weapons such as shanks hidden in the ceiling of his prison office. A video taken inside Lanesboro in 2012 and obtained by the Observer shows Wall meeting with gang members just minutes before those inmates, armed with homemade weapons, became involved in a fight that killed inmate Wesley Turner. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. Authorities believe all three of the convicted inmates had homemade knives, commonly known as shanks. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. His name has not been released. The state Department of Public Safety says an inmate at Bertie. The massacre also received attention from the BBC with several articles in the last several years dealing with the vigils and the trials. Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. Some family members believe that the murder may have been . A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said. On the morning of Sept. 28, 2012, the day that Turner was stabbed to death, there were rumors of potential violence. He would not discuss the lawsuit or his testimony with an Observer reporter. Ortiz and Vazquez didnt respond to the Observers requests for information about the case. State prison leaders refused requests for all surveillance videos that show incidents in which Wall is accused of helping inmates wage attacks. They are now suing the facility. All three of the convicted inmates have been transferred to other state prisons. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. Ronald Covington, a former captain at Lanesboro, testified that Wall appeared to be close to a gang-affiliated inmate. He goes straight to Cook, who is bleeding, and motions for him to get down on his knees. Prison officials investigated the murder, but refused to provide the Observer their report. Channel 9 has investigated Lanesboro, a maximum-security prison, for years. Fan-favorite Buc-ees gas station confirms new Florida location near Interstate 75, Jo-To Japanese Steak House, a Bradenton-Sarasota landmark for 40 years, to close soon, Ghislaine Maxwell appeals verdict and 20-year sex-trafficking sentence, Judge releases Florida students jailed for posting TikTok videos with Nerf gun filter, Public has a right to know: Lawmakers seek to open Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records, 3 young teens charged with murder after 15-year-old shot in Bradenton, sheriff says, Deputies arrest Parrish student accused of making false tip of school shooting threat, Florida man known as Milkshake pleads guilty to assault in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. 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. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So Paulo (Secretaria da Administrao Penitenciria), Brazil, Corrections in So Paulo, So Paulo Brazil. Special Agent in Charge John A. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. 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. Two other inmates involved in the gang-related fight that day Julio Alberto Zelaya-Sorto and Joel Corto Ortiz also pleaded guilty to felonies and had up to four and five years, respectively, added to their prison sentences. In a court filing, he said he never facilitated attacks. According to Acree, the prison is temporarily locked down while an investigation begins. - 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. Blyther was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, and had his initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. The state says the prison was on lockdown while they investigated the incident. Attorneys for Vazquez said their client never told them what led to the fight. It was me who was supposed to die that day.. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. Then Wall said, They have nothing to worry about because if I wanted to get anyone, I could get them touched from the outside, the letter states. In such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. 13, 2000)", "The stories and horrors in Brazil's penal system", "Outrage: 24 Years Later, Carandiru Prison Massacre of 111 is Called Self Defense", "Police officers get 156 years for 1992 Brazilian prison massacre", "Carandiru Massacre's Defining Moment for Brazil - Fair Observer", "Brazil's prison massacres are a frightening window into gang warfare", "Brazil police jailed for prison 'massacre', "Brazil police sentenced over Carandiru jail massacre", "Brazil Carandiru jail massacre police guilty", "15 police guilty in Brazil prison killings", "UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS, Office of the High Commissioner South America", "16 Brazil declares trial on Carandiru massacre null in shocking blow for justice", "Appeal begins in Brazil against acquittal of 74 police", "Opinion | Brazil's Deadly Prison System", "Sepultura's 'Chaos A.D.' Is the Anti-Colonial Rallying Cry that Thrash has Always Needed", Federal Correctional Institution, Talladega riot, Arizona State Prison Complex Lewis riot, United States Penitentiary, Florence riot, Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo riot, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carandiru_massacre&oldid=1140965457, People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Brazil, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The massacre is the subject of the song "Manifest" on the, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 17:49. Staff researcher Maria David and editor Rogelio Aranda contributed. Accessed March 29, 2018. Brian Dawe, executive director of the American Correctional Officer Intelligence Network (ACOIN), said Bertie like most of the nation's prisons appeared to be badly understaffed, based on the numbers that state prison officials provided to the Observer. But Harkins said the numbers provided by North Carolina suggest Bertie was "severely understaffed.". Another prison manager in that cramped office at the time told investigators that she was not paying attention as Wall spoke to the gang members, Bridges said. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. In a recorded phone conversation, Hunt told a friend she knew a bunch of corrupt officers, according to an FBI affidavit. And we don't have enough staff to fight back.". 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. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. A North Carolina inmate was found guilty Monday of murdering four prison workers during a failed escape attempt two years ago. Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. Why fans love it. State figures show that in April, when Callahan died, roughly one of every five correctional officer positions at the eastern North Carolina prison was vacant. 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 Officials say the men used a homemade shank as a weapon. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility.
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