October 2014 - Prison administrator David Mitchell was stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a plastic shank. He stretches his arms wide above his head, then lowers them and covers his mouth with both hands. Turner walks over to Cook and they stand shoulder to shoulder, braced for an attack. Special Agent in Charge John A. Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison after stabbing wife to death, faking intruder, He found a clam on a Florida beach to make some chowder. Bridges said that, in her opinion, Walls meeting with the Latino gang members was connected in some way with the subsequent fight. Designed to hold 1,400 inmates, the prison has a staff of about 500. He ran over and subdued the prisoner. 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. Wynn, who also took the stand Tuesday, testified that some inmates simply walked around prison metal detectors. The officer who opened the door for the three convicted inmates told SBI agents he did so because he thought the prisoners were returning to their unit following a meal. "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. On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. Forensic tests did not tie any of the shanks in Walls ceiling to the attacks on Turner, according to Bridges, the SBI agent. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. 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. Bridges said she doesnt buy that explanation. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. 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. Contact an Observer reporter: Ames Alexander | 704-358-5060 | aalexander@charlotteobserver.com, Gavin Off | 704-358-6038 | goff@charlotteobserver.com. The crackdown has reduced assaults, a DPS spokesman said. 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. Whether corrections officers helped facilitate any of what occurred that day, we dont know, said Tony Underwood, the special agent in charge of the nine-county SBI district that includes Anson and Mecklenburg counties. ". 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. The state has changed the prisons leadership several times in recent years. What happened to (the shanks)? asked SBI agent Audria Bridges, who led the investigation into Turners murder. Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. RT @PresstvExtra: At least 40 people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil's So Paulo state, officials say. "We've got to find a way to retain the people who work for us," Guice said. 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. in Criminal Justice - Corrections, and M.S. [8], In April 2013, 23 policemen involved in the massacre were sentenced to 156 years in prison each for the killing of 13 inmates. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. 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. 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. Lanesboro Correctional Institution - PrisonPro They contended those numbers constitute "sensitive public security information.". Officers skipped their required rounds at the prison the night Quick died, records show. [24] Consequently, the prosecutor is initiating an appeal and the process remains ongoing. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. But in his first public comments about the hidden weapons, Wall said Lanesboros top administrator at the time Lawrence Parsons was unaware that he kept the weapons in his ceiling. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, Get ready to change your clocks. Bridges said she doesnt believe that. Other prisoners were killed by police dogs. NC prison was understaffed when sergeant was beaten to death [8] In 2013, hundreds of people attended a multi-faith vigil in So Paulo in memoriam of those killed in the massacre. The vigil and pleas for justice led to several trials for the officers involved in the massacre that same year. Vazquez, 32, had already been serving an eight- to 10-year sentence for second-degree murder. April 2011 - Richard Neely, a former top administrator at Lanesboro, was charged with felony obstruction of justice following allegations that he destroyed video footage that might have shown officers using excessive force in a fight with inmates. Murder probe exposes more problems at Lanesboro prison, Former SC governor, Trump ally Nikki Haley coming to Myrtle Beach as she runs for president, Fort Mill just named its top teachers and staff members for 2023. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. But Vazquez stabbed and killed Turner using another improvised weapon, a sharpened metal plate. Now two NC men face prison. The gashes in the officer's face and neck required 39 stitches. Hes a manager at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. She earned an extra $36,500 in overtime that year, records show. [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. Hes a rookie at Lanesboro who is new to that job, still learning who to let in and who to keep out. Subsequent searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Five former prisoners of Lanesboro Correctional in Anson County say guards at the prison helped gang-affiliated inmates get weapons and wage attacks. 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. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. Inmate Gregorio Cortez Vazquez pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder in Turners stabbing death and was sentenced to up 16 additional years in prison. 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. Meggan Callahan was beaten to death, 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. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. 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. Prison surveillance video doesnt capture that meeting, so its unclear what they discussed. [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. Working at Lanesboro Correctional Institution: 17 Reviews - Indeed Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. Inmates involved in the fight told investigators that one of the shanks was a real long knife, another resembled a razor, and the third was a plastic toilet bowl brush sharpened at one end. Nikki Haley will be at Horry-Georgetown Technical College on March 13, a month after she launched her White House bid. The other inmate who was injured is being treated for his injuries. That explanation didnt make sense to Bridges. Carandiru massacre - Wikipedia State prison officials refused to say how many staff were on duty the day Callahan died. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. At least eight Lanesboro officers were caught bringing in drugs, cellphones and tobacco from early 2013 to early 2017, according to law enforcement records. English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. ANSONCOUNTY, N.C. -- A N.C. inmate has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that corrections officers at an Anson County prison cracked his skull with a baton . I didnt have enough cooperation to connect the dots, she said. Bridges said she hasnt watched all of the DVDs found in Walls ceiling, but has turned them over to the FBI. Inmates catch a mid-morning nap at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, in Polkton. Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough. The first to enter is Julio Zelaya-Sorto, convicted of shooting and killing a man at a Greensboro nightclub. 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. 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. 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 winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer last year found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption and violence to thrive. The confrontation began at about 8:30 a.m., when an inmate assaulted another inmate at . I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. Dawe, whose group shares research to help correctional officers, said that prison leaders who operate without sufficient staff "roll the dice with people's lives.". [18] Wall had been assigned to another prison while the Turner investigation was underway. [3] Around 2:15 P.M., the prison director, Dr Jos Ismael Pedrosa, informed the local military police Polcia Militar do Estado de So Paulo about the uprising. 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. 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. [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". A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Tony Underwood, who headed the Charlotte areas SBI office at the time, said hes still troubled by what investigators learned about Walls relationship with inmates. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. 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. Ortiz later told investigators his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Other former Lanesboro inmates also say that corrections officers have made a dangerous environment more so. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. They were planning to go to that unit to settle a dispute with Cook, who belonged to a different gang. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? Turner reportedly belonged to the same gang as Cook and was trying to go to his defense. 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? April 2009 - Inmate Prentiss Quick complained of chest pains and requested medical help, but no one at the prison got him to a nurse or a doctor, a correctional officer and an inmate said. Another direct result of the riot and the handling of the riot was the unification of prisoners. Prosecutors later dismissed the charge because of problems with the credibility of witnesses. 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. 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.. But, with the help of a source, the Observer obtained a prison surveillance video from the 2012 attack that killed inmate Wesley Turner, providing a rare glimpse into a prison murder. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. Where, she wondered, were the shanks used to attack Cook and Turner? To cope with the shortages, many prisons have also paid hundreds of thousands each year for overtime. The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith said. But prison officials did release the monthly figures, which show that the prison had 211 officers available to work in April. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. Copyright 2012 WBTV. [2] The conflict consisted of 2,069 prisoners against 15 guards, resulting in the guards quickly losing control of the prisoners. Prisoners were reported attacking each other with knives and pipes. Multiple attempts to reach Wall and Peguese including visits to their last known addresses in Anson County were unsuccessful. The fatal fight broke out roughly five minutes after the inmates left the office. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. First published on September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM. Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. Driver arrested after video shows him nearly hitting students at their school bus stop. Food Service Officer (Former Employee) - Wadesboro, NC - August 31, 2019. The control booth officer sees the fight, picks up a radio and makes a call. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. Cook is unarmed. Cook, the target of the 2012 attack, was released from prison in March. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. But while North Carolina typically hires about 1,800 to 2,000 prison officers per year, it usually loses about that many as well. Starting in November 2013, more than 800 inmates at the prison were put on lockdown for several months after an attack injured a corrections officer. Wall and another prison manager walk down the hallway minutes later, then stop outside the office. 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. One of those shanks was stained, possibly from blood, Bridges said. He said I could face an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint for making false accusations.. 9 investigates assaults on Lanesboro prison staff members The Killing Consensus: Homicide Detectives, Police that Kill and Organized Crime in Sio Paulo, Brazil. Next is Joel Sour Ortiz, who is in prison for armed robbery and shooting a motorist in the head during a road-rage attack on Raleighs beltline. Feds, state investigating gangs at NC prison | Rock Hill Herald He had 43. If (prison officials) cant answer that question, why cant they?. A search warrant affidavit filed earlier this year said that homemade knives were found in the ceiling above the office of Jeffery Wall, a former manager over the prison unit where Turner was killed. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. Inmates at this prison are kept under close watch and have committed very serious crimes. Theyre within feet of an officer who controls the locked door to the block. 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.. We encourage you to perform your own independent 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. "We've got a lot of folks who are not staying with us.". The five men say they filed the lawsuit because of their time at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. The N.C. Department of Public Safety has declined the Observers requests for copies of the video, citing ongoing investigative reviews.. Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. An officer in a control room opened the door for them. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. He goes straight to Cook, who is bleeding, and motions for him to get down on his knees. 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. Roberts said that if prison is supposed to be a place where inmates learn to live law-abiding lives, Lanesboro appears to be falling short. SBI officials say theres no proof that happened in the Turner case. State prison leaders say they are holding many hiring events and partnering with schools and military bases to fill jobs. Thats Wall in the white shirt and tie entering the hallway on the video. Correctional officer, father of 2 killed in shooting - WSOC TV The CO was reportedly stabbed and suffered heavy bleeding after responding to an inmate fight. 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. Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. DPS names three new prison administrators | NC DPS Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. [5] No policemen were injured. Department spokesman Keith Acree said the two are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals. The settlement was reached after the trio and two other state prisoners, Orlando Harshaw and Stacey Wynn, sued Lanesboro Correctional Institution Superintendent Lawrence Parsons and other prison officials for allowing and facilitating attacks by gang members in a part of the prison run by Unit Supervisor Jeffrey E. Wall. 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. In such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. Officials say the men used a homemade shank as a weapon. NC inmates win payouts over prison violence - Burlington Times News Surveillance video shows two of the attackers meeting with a unit manager shortly before the attack.. How serious Parsons was about keeping contraband out of the prison remains unclear. 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. Do you want to share documents or information about the North Carolina prisons?