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It was especially heartbreaking for me to see you go in the media from being a grieving father who lost a wife and a son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them, Judge Clifton Newman said to Alex Murdaugh Friday. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have also documented statistics of police violence and acquittals in Brazil. The North Carolina . [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. December 2010 - Thirteen inmates assaulted staff members in various attacks, state records show. Please enter valid email address to continue. In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So Paulo (Secretaria da Administrao Penitenciria), Brazil, Corrections in So Paulo, So Paulo Brazil. David Guice, the state's chief deputy secretary for adult correction and juvenile justice, said he does not yet know whether better staffing at Bertie would have made any difference the day that Callahan was killed. 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. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. She earned an extra $36,500 in overtime that year, records show. Another direct result of the riot and the handling of the riot was the unification of prisoners. Authorities believe all three of the convicted inmates had homemade knives, commonly known as shanks. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wall said he put the shanks in the ceiling because he couldnt lock his desk drawer or file cabinet, his dismissal letter states. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. If you go down to the local high school, you would see a way more controlled atmosphere than you saw in this video.. POLKTON, N.C. -- Authorities in North Carolina say two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers were assaulted with a broom handle in an attackat a state prison. Friends and family described Juan Ortiz-Castillo as very jealous of his wife, according to police. On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. Forensic tests did not tie any of the shanks in Walls ceiling to the attacks on Turner, according to Bridges, the SBI agent. But prison officials did release the monthly figures, which show that the prison had 211 officers available to work in April. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? Id like to see the truth be told about what really does go on in here.. 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. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. But Vazquez stabbed and killed Turner using another improvised weapon, a sharpened metal plate. It was me who was supposed to die that day.. Recently, North Carolina inmates were able to smuggle a cell phone into the detention facility in which they were detained, and use it to orchestrate the kidnapping of the father of a prosecutor in the state. 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. [6], By the end of the day, 111 prisoners were dead; and 37 more were injured. State prison leaders refused requests for all surveillance videos that show incidents in which Wall is accused of helping inmates wage attacks. A lock ( "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. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. The Associated Press contributed to this report. But by that time, the officer was already bleeding profusely. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate. Others believe that it was somehow connected to his job. I would like to see the truth be told about what happens at Lanesboro. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - One inmate is dead andanother injured after an incident at a state prison in Anson County. Two state investigators said they reached the same opinion. In a court filing, Wall denied the federal lawsuit claims, saying he never facilitated attacks or gave gang members preferential treatment. "If inmates wanted to jump another inmate or take somebody out that day, that would be the time to do it when you're understaffed. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. "They might have had enough officers to subdue that inmate before he got that fire extinguisher from the sergeant," said Robert Webster, a former captain at two North Carolina maximum-security prisons. Three correctional officers were assaulted late last week at the same state prison where an officer was killed two years ago. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. [15] The surviving gang members joined forces with other prisoners to provide protection against the police. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. The current capacity of Lanesboro Correctional Institution is 1,400 adult male inmates. But Harkins said the numbers provided by North Carolina suggest Bertie was "severely understaffed.". And they say pay increases approved by the legislature in 2015 will also help with recruiting. Brooke, James. Our theory is that, at best, the corrections officers knew (the attack) was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, Smith said. Turner, who lived in D pod with the other three inmates, went through the door behind them. The vigil and pleas for justice led to several trials for the officers involved in the massacre that same year. The massacre also gained international attention, with The New York Times, publishing one article titled "111 Killed When Police Storm Brazilian Prison During Inmate Riot" the same year as the massacre. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Special Agent in Charge John A. Ronald Covington, a former captain at Lanesboro, testified that Wall appeared to be close to a gang-affiliated inmate. 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. 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. Both are members of the Folk Nation. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. He acknowledged that he had heard complaints about Wall from officers at the prison, but they had no concrete evidence.. The control booth officer sees the fight, picks up a radio and makes a call. Officers found Dwyer dead at 10:15. 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. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. If Cooks DNA had turned up on any of the shanks in Walls office, that could have helped tie them to the attack. Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. [2] The conflict consisted of 2,069 prisoners against 15 guards, resulting in the guards quickly losing control of the prisoners. No prison officials have been criminally charged. Walls testimony was brief and he did not elaborate on the hidden weapons. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Some facts related to events surrounding the murder of inmate Wesley Turner are drawn from prison surveillance video obtained by the Observer. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. 227 West Trade St. 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.. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Wall and another prison manager walk down the hallway minutes later, then stop outside the office. Experts said that better staffing at the prison likely would have meant more eyes and ears on what inmates were doing, faster response times and more officers on the scene. 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. 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. The state has recently made offers to about 400 officer candidates, so the vacancy rate will likely drop, Guice said. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. According to Acree, the prison is temporarily locked down while an investigation begins. Acree said thetwo correctional officersassaulted with a broom handlewere treated by prison medical staff. The incident was reported around1:30 p.m. at theLanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton. This sprawling complex of concrete and barbed wire in Anson County holds 1,800 inmates, including more than 350 men convicted of murder and 150 convicted of rape. Bridges said she doesnt believe that. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility. They are now suing the facility. We encourage you to perform your own independent [8], In April 2013, 23 policemen involved in the massacre were sentenced to 156 years in prison each for the killing of 13 inmates. How serious Parsons was about keeping contraband out of the prison remains unclear. 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. Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. Here are his plans. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 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. In a court filing, he said he never facilitated attacks. Phillip Boney, a former Lanesboro officer, told the Observer that right after the fight, he saw Wall put a shank inside an unlocked wooden podium near the cell block. All rights reserved. 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. The dismissal letter, signed by Lanesboros acting administrator at the time, called Walls statement a clear threat of injury or harm to staff.. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. Following the attack, more than 800 inmates were put on lockdown for several months. Five years after the murder, Lanesboros problems continue. 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.. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. Some correctional officers have more than doubled their income by working overtime. Accessed March 29, 2018. Now comes the gesture. [21] Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. One former officer, who rushed to a colleague's defense after she was slashed in the neck by an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, said the attack might have been prevented with more staff. Many of North Carolina's maximum-security prisons are operating dangerously short of staff, current and former correctional officers told the Observer. Prisoners were reported attacking each other with knives and pipes. They are joined by a third Latino gang member, Gregorio Vazquez, who is in prison for second-degree murder. New documents, interviews and a lawsuit paint a picture of a place where some officers seemed to collaborate with gang-affiliated inmates and gave them free rein to roam. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. Driver arrested after video shows him nearly hitting students at their school bus stop. State prison officials refused to say how many staff were on duty the day Callahan died. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. Authorities say prison Sgt. One Polk officer made $29,800 in salary in 2015. Wall turns and looks directly into the room where Vazquez waits. The massacre also received attention from the BBC with several articles in the last several years dealing with the vigils and the trials. [7], The country was in major shock from the massacre. RALEIGH, N.C. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. Designed to hold 1,400 inmates, the prison has a staff of about 500. in Justice Studies and M.S. Later that afternoon, Wall arrived at the Lanesboro parking lot, according to a prison document. He reportedly belonged to Cooks gang and planned to go to his defense. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. WINDSOR, NC (Ames Alexander and Gavin Off/The Charlotte Observer) - Bertie Correctional Institution was understaffed the month that Sgt. In such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. Other former Lanesboro inmates also say that corrections officers have made a dangerous environment more so. Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. The three continue to cause trouble: Since Turners death, theyve been written up for about 50 infractions, including weapon possession, setting fires and assaulting staff. He said three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and are being questioned. Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. Are there more visitors than ever in Bradenton, Sarasota as peak season approaches? 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 murder, which occurred on Thursday June 5 in the hours before Easley and his father planned to watch the first game of the NBA finals together, left his family devastated. Turner reportedly belonged to the same gang as Cook and was trying to go to his defense. The FBI investigated the case. Another prisoner also slips through the door. The inmate was always in his office, and that was kind of unusual, Covington said. Later, an officer delivered other personal property to Wall, who had been waiting in front of the prison gatehouse. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. In interviews with investigators, officer Kearry Hinson said he picked up one of the weapons used in the fight and gave it to Wall. On Dec. 28, a guard at Brown Creek Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison located adjacent to Lanesboro, was accused of trying to smuggle marijuana and painkillers into the facility to give to an inmate there. The confrontation began at about 8:30 a.m., when an inmate assaulted another inmate at the prison in Anson County, according to a statement from N.C. Director of Prisons Kenneth Lassiter. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer last year found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption and violence to thrive. Official websites use .gov David Mitchell, a Harley-riding former Navy officer brought in to run the prison in 2014, was attacked three times in his first eight months once stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a dagger fashioned from melted plastic. Seconds later, another prisoner follows. Bertie now houses about 935 inmates. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. The state Department of Public Safety says an inmate at Bertie. 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. The massacre has also sparked ongoing discussions, both in Brazil and internationally about Brazil's prison system. Turner lies bleeding to death on the concrete floor. About 45 miles from Charlotte, just beyond a grove of trees, Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses some of the states most violent criminals. A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said.