lanesboro correctional officer killed

The three wait outside Cooks cell block for more than a minute. Wall turns and looks directly into the room where Vazquez waits. Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. The massacre has also sparked ongoing discussions, both in Brazil and internationally about Brazil's prison system. 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. An officer in a control room opened the door for them. A female officer told Bridges that Wall just called looking for help. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption to thrive. They have a very difficult job Most of them do it the right way. According to charges contained in the federal indictment, Blyther worked as a correctional officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institution (LCI), since renamed Anson Correctional Institution, a state prison located in Polkton, North Carolina. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. All three of the Latino inmates had sharp weapons. A correctional officer in the state of North Carolina was recently murdered, just one month before his wedding. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. 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 such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Wesley Turner in a news release from N.C . According to Acree, the prison is temporarily locked down while an investigation begins. But while North Carolina typically hires about 1,800 to 2,000 prison officers per year, it usually loses about that many as well. Another prisoner also slips through the door. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. I didnt have enough cooperation to connect the dots, she said. Prison surveillance video doesnt capture that meeting, so its unclear what they discussed. State prison leaders say they are holding many hiring events and partnering with schools and military bases to fill jobs. Surveillance videos and shanks hidden in the ceiling of a prison managers office raised questions about whether prison officials helped plan the attack or allowed it to happen. Many of the large maximum-security prisons such as Bertie and Lanesboro are located in rural areas, where recruiting can be difficult. They are now suing the facility. 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. They were planning to go to that unit to settle a dispute with Cook, who belonged to a different gang. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. Contact an Observer reporter: Ames Alexander | 704-358-5060 | aalexander@charlotteobserver.com, Gavin Off | 704-358-6038 | goff@charlotteobserver.com. Ortiz later told investigators his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. If the officer knew an assault was going to take place, would he have opened the door? Bridges asked. As alleged in the indictment, as a correctional officer, Blythers duties included the supervision of inmates, and ensuring safe, secure and orderly prison operations. "You can only spread people so thin," she said. Just out of view, in the lower right-hand corner of the video, a second fight erupts. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. 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. The crackdown has reduced assaults, a DPS spokesman said. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. State officials say they are working to improve conditions at Lanesboro. Following the attack, more than 800 inmates were put on lockdown for several months. He stretches his arms high. 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. But Harkins said the numbers provided by North Carolina suggest Bertie was "severely understaffed.". He said three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and are being questioned. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. Heres the list, Former Panthers site entrance, large home lots near Lake Wylie among Rock Hill plans, Death investigation after man found shot to death in Chester County, sheriff says, Man charged with DUI after 3-year-old child dies in Fort Mill car crash, police say, Powerful storm system across the East will impact the Rock Hill regions weather, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, Alex Murdaughs attorneys say theyll appeal double-murder conviction, When is spring bike week 2023 happening in Myrtle Beach? 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. But minutes later, they are walking through a prison hallway with weapons, headed for a fight. Guards allegedly opened In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith said. All charges in the indictment are allegations. Minutes before the Sept. 28, 2012, assault that killed Wesley Turner, two inmates involved visited the office of an assistant unit manager at the Anson County prison, State Bureau of Investigation agents say. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "111 Killed When Police Storm Brazilian Prison During Inmate Riot", "Carandiru v. Brasil, Report, Report No. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Surveillance video from that day offers a look behind the prisons walls: Inmates mill about in a hallway, some high-fiving, others hugging or bumping fists, as if they are high-school students changing classes. Now two NC men face prison. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. There are no national standards for minimum staffing at prisons, experts say. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. Polkton is 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. 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 the morning of Sept. 28, 2012, the day that Turner was stabbed to death, there were rumors of potential violence. He did not respond. In court documents, Parsons has denied that. 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. Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. All rights reserved. The dismissal letter, signed by Lanesboros acting administrator at the time, called Walls statement a clear threat of injury or harm to staff.. 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. [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. 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. They were among five inmates formerly held at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Charlotte, who said they were stabbed by gang members who operated openly in a prison wing overseen by Jeffrey Wall. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. The N.C. Department of Public Safety has declined the Observers requests for copies of the video, citing ongoing investigative reviews.. Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. The prison is named for the nearby community of Lanesboro. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. The state Department of Public Safety says an inmate at Bertie. Special Agent in Charge John A. Lanesboro Correctional Institution is a state men's prison in Polkton, North Carolina, first opened in January, 2004 and operated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections.As one of the state's four largest prisons, the official capacity is 1,800 prisoners. You're tired. Its clearly not a place where theyre learning to go the straight and narrow, he said. 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. ", "The inmates literally say, 'You all are understaffed, so if we wanted to, we could overtake this prison.' But Jeffery Wall the unit manager who made the gesture has been accused in federal lawsuits of facilitating two other gang attacks the same year. The Killing Consensus: Homicide Detectives, Police that Kill and Organized Crime in Sio Paulo, Brazil. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. 34/00, Case No. SBI officials say theres no proof that happened in the Turner case. As soon as the inmates entered D pod, Ortiz and Sorto attacked Cook, surveillance video shows. 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. "It's not safe," McCoy said. Bridges said that, in her opinion, Walls meeting with the Latino gang members was connected in some way with the subsequent fight. He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement, A.S. in Criminal Justice, B.S. Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. It is a close custody facility, which is the equivalent of maximum security. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. He reportedly belonged to Cooks gang and planned to go to his defense. Why would someone working in a prison give someone who is suspected of being involved in a murder a be quiet sign? Roberts said in an interview with the Observer. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. Inmate Craig Wissink, who has been serving a life sentence for murder since 2004, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Callahan's death. He ran over and subdued the prisoner. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. It's as simple as that.". Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. 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. Lake Norman mansion for sale hosted famous Talladega Nights Hollywood dinner scene, Ex-high school coach accused of sex crimes against 6 more athletes, NC sheriff says. Both are members of the Folk Nation. In a recorded phone conversation, Hunt told a friend she knew a bunch of corrupt officers, according to an FBI affidavit. RT @PresstvExtra: At least 40 people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil's So Paulo state, officials say. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. Turner, according to the NCDPS, was serving time in the prison for the chargesof second degree murder, conspiracy murder first degree, and an attempted prison escape. [25] Since the massacre, Brazil's federal government has passed new legislation to reform the prison system, all of which has yet to be enforced.[26]. 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.. 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. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. Walls testimony was brief and he did not elaborate on the hidden weapons. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021. (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. His name has not been released. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. Soon afterward, Vazquez attacked and killed Turner. Prison officials investigated the murder, but refused to provide the Observer their report. Some family members believe that the murder may have been . Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. Then shelter shared desperate plea, What to Watch Friday: Dateline and 20/20 update Murdaugh murder trial coverage, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. Ortiz was sentenced to 37 to 57 months. 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. 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.. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. [19] In August 2013, another 25 policemen involved in the massacre were sentenced to 624 years each for the deaths of 52 inmates. Corrections officers flocked to the scene after the stabbings, but only one shank was recovered. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Located in Polkton, about 45 miles east of Charlotte, Lanesboro has repeatedly drawn scrutiny after violence, contraband smuggling and allegations of improper conduct by corrections officers. "All it would take is for five or ten guys to decide we're going to take over the prison. Ortiz, the inmate charged in that stabbing, said his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. Prison leaders say that when staff vacancies at a prison rise, they make adjustments, such as moving prisoners, reducing inmate programs and sending fewer staff members to special training. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. "We've got a lot of folks who are not staying with us.". Police haven't arrested his shooter and there are big questions about what led up to Thursday. [17], After years of national and international pressure, the prison was demolished on 8 December 2002, the former complex having been turned into a park. Ballistic evidence indicated that 515 bullets were found in the prisoners. Are there more visitors than ever in Bradenton, Sarasota as peak season approaches? Peguese resigned from the system in May 2013, while he was under investigation, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Pamela Walker. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. Jurors deliberated for about half an hour before convicting Mikel. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. The officer noticed a gun in Walls vehicle, the letter states. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. At the time, she was responding to a fire that had been set inside the. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? 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.

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