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 North Carolina . A lock ( On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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.. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. The lawsuit being litigated at Charlottes federal courthouse this week was brought by Stacey Wynn, an inmate who suffered serious injuries following two November 2011 assaults at Lanesboro. Guards allegedly opened Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. Brooke, James. Officers and prisoners say he had a reputation for doing favors for gang members. The father of two was shot and killed in front of his Charlotte, North Carolina home, and police are currently investigating whether or not the murder was somehow connected to his profession or incidences which may have occurred in the correctional facility where he is employed. Often, exhausted prison officers fall asleep on the job, too. In court documents, Parsons has denied that. POLKTON, N.C. -- Authorities in North Carolina say two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers were assaulted with a broom handle in an attack at a state prison. 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. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. The shank didnt belong there. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. [9] In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Follow Press TV on Telegram: http://t.me . Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. 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. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blythers arrest by the FBI. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. Our site does not feature every educational option available on the market. 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. The suits also contend that Wall facilitated attacks on two other inmates the same year Turner was killed. In my opinion, it didnt seem logical to hide them in the ceiling, she said. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. 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. Ronald Covington, a former captain at Lanesboro, testified that Wall appeared to be close to a gang-affiliated inmate. 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. Corrections officers recovered another improvised weapon at the scene a sharpened metal plate, which may have come from a prison door. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Prisons to weaken correctional officer vetting, critics says If you go down to the local high school, you would see a way more controlled atmosphere than you saw in this video.. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. Some correctional officers have more than doubled their income by working overtime. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. Some of the DVDs showed fights between inmates, Bridges said. Subsequent searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. 34/00, Case No. 4 correctional officers assaulted at North Carolina prison in Justice Studies and M.S. All three belonged to gangs. 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. "It's so dangerous," Gravitte said. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. Many of North Carolina's maximum-security prisons are operating dangerously short of staff, current and former correctional officers told the Observer. Inmates at this prison are kept under close watch and have committed very serious crimes. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. 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. You're tired. A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said. Two pending federal lawsuits allege that Wall and his officers sold weapons to gang members. Lawsuit: Prison guards deleted beating video | wcnc.com - 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. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blyther's arrest by the FBI. 4 correctional officers stabbed at North Carolina prison A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. One Polk officer made $29,800 in salary in 2015. They pepper-spray and beat Vazquez with batons to stop him from stabbing Turner. 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. Seconds later, another prisoner follows. Inmates often hid contraband in body cavities, Parsons said. Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. 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. For the past nine years, Sapper has served as the operations manager for the Coastal Region, overseeing 12 prisons in eastern North Carolina. Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. SBI officials say theres no proof that happened in the Turner case. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. Prison video shows Wall making a keep your mouth shut gesture stretching his arms wide and then folding them so his hands covered his mouth to the office where Vazquez had been taken, Roberts and Smith said. What to know about daylight saving time in NC, Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. [9] 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. Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. 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. 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. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. MMA Junkie says that police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo is a suspect. Wynn, who is serving a life sentence following a 2008 murder conviction, was permanently disabled after one of the attacks, his lawyers say. Lanesboro Correctional Institution is a 1,000 cell, high security prison facility located adjacent to Brown Creek Correctional Institution and Anson Correctional Center in Polkton, NC. Asheville:(828) 271-4661. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. 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. RT @PresstvExtra: At least 40 people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil's So Paulo state, officials say. [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". Bias Easley was a corrections officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, near Wadesboro. Officials say the men used a homemade shank as a weapon. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. Friends and family described Juan Ortiz-Castillo as very jealous of his wife, according to police. The officer noticed a gun in Walls vehicle, the letter states. Ortiz later told investigators his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Attorneys for the state quizzed Wynn why he didnt take steps that might have allowed him to avoid the attack. Officers skipped their required rounds at the prison the night Quick died, records show. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer, NC woman who beat 1 in 3.35 million odds shows up to claim her lottery jackpot, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. A corrections officer opened the door that allowed the three convicted inmates into an adjacent pod. Ortiz and Vazquez didnt respond to the Observers requests for information about the case. He said I could face an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint for making false accusations.. And they say pay increases approved by the legislature in 2015 will also help with recruiting. Lanesboro has a standard operating capacity of 864 close-custody male inmates, with 128 segregation cells and 8 health care beds. 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. Roy Cooper has asked him to review the circumstances "to ensure this doesn't happen again.". Forensic tests did not tie any of the shanks in Walls ceiling to the attacks on Turner, according to Bridges, the SBI agent. Where, she wondered, were the shanks used to attack Cook and Turner? Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. On the morning of Sept. 28, 2012, the day that Turner was stabbed to death, there were rumors of potential violence. 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. As soon as the inmates entered D pod, Ortiz and Sorto attacked Cook, surveillance video shows. 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. Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. 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. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. 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 reportedly belonged to the same gang as Cook and was trying to go to his defense. Another prisoner also slips through the door. 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. The control booth officer sees the fight, picks up a radio and makes a call. 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. He stretches his arms high. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. They refuse. The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Wesley Turner in a news release from N.C . On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. He stares into the office for a few moments before walking away. Police haven't arrested his shooter and there are big questions about what led up to Thursday. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. The inmate who spent time with Wall Joseph Sanderlin was involved in at least two attacks at Lanesboro, Wynns attorneys say. Have a question about Government Services? The officer said Wall asked her to go into his old office and retrieve a bag of shanks from the 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. State prison policy says weapons potential criminal evidence should be kept in a locked container in the prisons armory. 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. Why fans love it. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. WINDSOR, NC (Ames Alexander and Gavin Off/The Charlotte Observer) - Bertie Correctional Institution was understaffed the month that Sgt. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. 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. He was sentenced to 32 to 48 months. Wall was transferred to work at a different prison while under investigation in July 2013. The three wait outside Cooks cell block for more than a minute. 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. Updated: 4:34 PM EST November 9, 2012. [20] In April 2014, 15 additional policemen were sentenced to 48 years. Copyright 2012 WBTV. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. 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. Wall turns and looks directly into the room where Vazquez waits. Hes a rookie at Lanesboro who is new to that job, still learning who to let in and who to keep out. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. This story was originally published July 17, 2018, 8:17 PM. Bridges said forensic tests did not conclusively tie any of the weapons in Walls office to the attack on Turner. He stretches his arms wide above his head, then lowers them and covers his mouth with both hands. It did not appear to be a normal prison relationship that a correctional officer should have with inmates, Underwood said. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. Here are his plans. 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. The pay is low an average of the about $35,000 annually at maximum-security prisons and the work is dangerous and demanding. 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. They are now suing the facility. research before making any education decisions. In such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. Soon afterward, he contacted a Lanesboro employee, asking her to retrieve the contraband from the ceiling of his old office, his dismissal letter states. That explanation didnt make sense to Bridges. 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. He acknowledged that he had heard complaints about Wall from officers at the prison, but they had no concrete evidence.. Editors note: This story is based on interviews with dozens of sources including inmates, investigators, lawyers and 19 current and former prison employees as well as court files, correspondence, criminal records and state prison documents. 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. 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 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. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. 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. 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. Then they returned to D pod, the unit where they lived. "And this time it came up snake eyes," he said. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The police released their dogs in the barber shop, where the wounded prisoners were taken. In a recorded phone conversation, Hunt told a friend she knew a bunch of corrupt officers, according to an FBI affidavit. 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. Accessed March 29, 2018. Then he covers his mouth. Wall and another prison manager walk down the hallway minutes later, then stop outside the office. Some facts related to events surrounding the murder of inmate Wesley Turner are drawn from prison surveillance video obtained by the Observer. English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. He said three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and are being questioned. 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. 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. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. The N.C. Department of Public Safety has declined the Observers requests for copies of the video, citing ongoing investigative reviews.. It was me who was supposed to die that day.. 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. Lanesboro Correctional Institution Lanesboro Correctional Institution is located in Polkton North Carolina. 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. Hodges was sentenced to two years in federal prison. His friend may be next. Cook said he met him in 2001, when Turner came to his aid in a fight against correctional officers. This story was originally published December 4, 2014, 6:58 PM.
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