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One prisoner alleges that Wall ran a violent, contraband-driven fiefdom.. Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. Seconds later, Ortiz grabs a shank from his waistband and also begins slashing Cook. 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. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. 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. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. "We've got to find a way to retain the people who work for us," Guice said. Police are asking anyone with information related to the Easley murder to contact them immediately. 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. No, I dont think he would have.. [9] Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. Another prisoner also slips through the door. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. NC prison officials asked for inmates' silence after Lanesboro killing Updated: 4:34 PM EST November 9, 2012. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. This story was originally published July 17, 2018, 8:17 PM. Multiple attempts to reach Wall and Peguese including visits to their last known addresses in Anson County were unsuccessful. Relatives of those killed and human rights activists have both demanded and appealed for justice. An officer in a control room opened the door for them. 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. 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. September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM Staff researcher Maria David and David Raynor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer contributed. NC prison was understaffed when Sgt. Meggan Callahan was beaten - WBTV Its so dangerous that some officers begin their work days by asking those coming off the previous shift how many assaults theyve just seen. 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. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. 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. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. October 2016 - Former correctional officer Scarlette Hodges pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband to at least one inmate. No prison officials have been criminally charged. The North Carolina . Lanesboro Correctional Institution Lanesboro Correctional Institution is located in Polkton North Carolina. He said I could face an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint for making false accusations.. Cook is unarmed. 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. Subsequent searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. Officers and prisoners say he had a reputation for doing favors for gang members. He stretches his arms high. Prisoner dies in riot at Lanesboro - journalnow.com Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Why fans love it. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. 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. Heres how to check the conditions. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. Wesley Turner has come to defend Cook, his friend. But SBI agent Audria Bridges, who led the investigation, said she was troubled to learn that inmates at the prison roamed freely in areas they should not have been in.. Thats Wall in the white shirt and tie entering the hallway on the video. Several days after the incident police still had not arrested a suspect or determined a motive for the murder. The other inmate who was injured is being treated for his injuries. In 2014, Vazquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing Turner. 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. Turner was scheduled to get out of prison this year, too. The incident was reported around1:30 p.m. at theLanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton. Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. 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. 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. In an 11-week period in early 2016, more than 15 staff members left Lanesboro under suspicion of wrongdoing, Mitchell said. Less than an hour after the fight, SBI agent Audria Bridges began investigating the murder. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. Why did NC prison officer hide weapons in his office ceiling 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. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. NC prison officers sleep on the job, putting lives at risk | Raleigh Inmates indicted on murder charges for death and injury of fellow inmates Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte: (704) 344-6222 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. It did not appear to be a normal prison relationship that a correctional officer should have with inmates, Underwood said. Said Gary Harkins, former research and information director for ACOIN: "People can get killed when you don't have enough staff. He was sentenced to 32 to 48 months. [13] Although not entirely certain, his death was likely the result of his role in the massacre. Officials say the men used a homemade shank as a weapon. What to know about daylight saving time in NC, Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. B.S. Searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. We encourage you to perform your own independent Our theory is that, at best, the corrections officers knew (the attack) was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, Smith said. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. Dustin Bettis, a former inmate who did time in Lanesboro, told the Observer he saw Wall give a pocket knife to one inmate and a cellphone to another. Statewide, about 16 percent of officer positions are vacant. 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. [7], The country was in major shock from the massacre. February 2017 - Former officer Evangeline Hunt was charged with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. His name has not been released. Lanesboro Correctional Institution - Wikipedia A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. 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. All three belonged to gangs. Other inmates had told investigators that Hodges was supplying contraband to an inmate gang member who she later admitted was her boyfriend, court records show. [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. Located in Polkton, about 45 miles east of Charlotte, Lanesboro has repeatedly drawn. 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. Cook, the target of the 2012 attack, was released from prison in March. Contact an Observer reporter: Ames Alexander | 704-358-5060 | aalexander@charlotteobserver.com, Gavin Off | 704-358-6038 | goff@charlotteobserver.com. One of those officers fell and hurt her knee when she went to Callahan's defense, Jernigan said. Officials: Lanesboro guard smuggled heroin for inmate Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. Did prison guards conspire with inmates, gangs at North Carolina prison [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. Attorneys for Vazquez said their client never told them what led to the fight. He had 43. 1 inmate dead after incident at correctional center - WSOC TV Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. Wynn, who is serving a life sentence following a 2008 murder conviction, was permanently disabled after one of the attacks, his lawyers say. Two pending federal lawsuits allege that Wall and his officers sold weapons to gang members. For the past nine years, Sapper has served as the operations manager for the Coastal Region, overseeing 12 prisons in eastern North Carolina. A fellow prisoner, Joel Corto Ortiz, pleaded guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing Christopher Cook, another inmate who was seriously injured in the fight. CHARLOTTE 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 represented one of the suspects said. 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. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blythers arrest by the FBI. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. Wynn said he did not want to be branded as a prison snitch, a label that can get inmates hurt. Polkton is 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have also documented statistics of police violence and acquittals in Brazil. I didnt have enough cooperation to connect the dots, she said. The inmate who spent time with Wall Joseph Sanderlin was involved in at least two attacks at Lanesboro, Wynns attorneys say. Two state investigators said they reached the same opinion. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. 4 correctional officers stabbed at North Carolina prison Had there been more, he said, one female officer might never have been assaulted. He goes straight to Cook, who is bleeding, and motions for him to get down on his knees. Please enter valid email address to continue. At other prisons of comparable size, officers told the Observer, it's common for about 50 or 60 officers to work the day shift. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. It's odd that (the gang members) are meeting with Wall minutes before the attack, Smith said. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. ", "The inmates literally say, 'You all are understaffed, so if we wanted to, we could overtake this prison.' English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. Copyright 2012 WBTV. October 2014 - Prison administrator David Mitchell was stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a plastic shank. Lanesboro Correctional Institution - PrisonPro As alleged in the indictment, as a correctional officer, Blythers duties included the supervision of inmates, and ensuring safe, secure and orderly prison operations. 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. December 2010 - Thirteen inmates assaulted staff members in various attacks, state records show. He got the nickname Ghost Face as the only white kid hanging out in a Durham housing project. 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. Special Agent in Charge John A. 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. The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith 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.". Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. The confrontation began at about 8:30 a.m., when an inmate assaulted another inmate at . To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate.