lanesboro correctional officer killed

It's as simple as that.". Lanesboro Correctional Institution Lanesboro Correctional Institution is located in Polkton North Carolina. Ballistic evidence indicated that 515 bullets were found in the prisoners. Some family members believe that the murder may have been . 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. 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. He stares into the office for a few moments before walking away. Carandiru massacre - Wikipedia 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. In my opinion, it didnt seem logical to hide them in the ceiling, she said. They contended those numbers constitute "sensitive public security information.". [14] A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. In an email to the Observer, state prison leaders said they have no evidence to support that conversations and gestures with inmates seen in the surveillance video are anything other than normal discussions with the inmate population.. 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. Vazquez and Zelaya-Sorto are scheduled for release in 2028. The first inmates arrived in January 2004. In an 11-week period in early 2016, more than 15 staff members left Lanesboro under suspicion of wrongdoing, Mitchell said. ", NC prison was understaffed when Sgt. Wesley Turner has come to defend Cook, his friend. His dismissal letter states that he helped create conditions that increased the chance of death or serious bodily injury to employees, inmates or the public. 9 investigates assaults on Lanesboro prison staff members Thats Wall in the white shirt and tie entering the hallway on the video. Correctional officers face significant dangers in their careers both inside and outside of prisons to which they are assigned. 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. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. 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. Cook is unarmed. They are joined by a third Latino gang member, Gregorio Vazquez, who is in prison for second-degree murder. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Prison leaders plan to examine many factors, including staffing patterns, Guice said. 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. Lawsuit: Prison guards deleted beating video | wcnc.com His friend may be next. 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 state says the prison was on lockdown while they investigated the incident. Two state investigators said they reached the same opinion. Wynn alleges that another inmate stabbed him in the chest with a weapon resembling a filet knife, then threw a chair at him. [15] The surviving gang members joined forces with other prisoners to provide protection against the police. Western North Carolina State corrections officials identified the inmate killed as Wesley Eugene Turner, 35, who had been in prison since 1996 for multiple offenses, including second-degree murder. 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. Wall said he put the shanks in the ceiling because he couldnt lock his desk drawer or file cabinet, his dismissal letter states. He said three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and are being questioned. 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. (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. We had about 7 officers overseeing about 30 inmates in a kitchen to make sure they followed the recipes.prepared and use the right utensils to serve the food. Turner, who lived in D pod with the other three inmates, went through the door behind them. All three belonged to gangs. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have also documented statistics of police violence and acquittals in Brazil. 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. Now comes the gesture. August 2011 - Eighteen inmates assaulted staff members throughout the month. Then Wall said, They have nothing to worry about because if I wanted to get anyone, I could get them touched from the outside, the letter states. Working at Lanesboro Correctional Institution: 17 Reviews - Indeed In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. The officer noticed a gun in Walls vehicle, the letter states. The Killing Consensus: Homicide Detectives, Police that Kill and Organized Crime in Sio Paulo, Brazil. But while North Carolina typically hires about 1,800 to 2,000 prison officers per year, it usually loses about that many as well. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. 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. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith said. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. Officers skipped their required rounds at the prison the night Quick died, records show. Here are his plans. POLKTON, N.C. - A lieutenant and a sergeant were stabbed by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution around 2 p.m. Thursday and are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals, a 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. For the past nine years, Sapper has served as the operations manager for the Coastal Region, overseeing 12 prisons in eastern North Carolina. Later that afternoon, Wall arrived at the Lanesboro parking lot, according to a prison document. Then he covers his mouth. State officials say they are working to improve conditions at Lanesboro. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. Its clearly not a place where theyre learning to go the straight and narrow, he said. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. Less than an hour after the fight, SBI agent Audria Bridges began investigating the murder. 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. Inmate Donny Mosley, who is serving time for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, had slashed her face and neck with a razor-like weapon. RT @PresstvExtra: At least 40 people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Brazil's So Paulo state, officials say. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. It did not appear to be a normal prison relationship that a correctional officer should have with inmates, Underwood said. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. FBI Arrests Corrections Officer For Smuggling A Controlled Substance At Another prisoner also slips through the door. Hodges was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Inmates indicted on murder charges for death and injury of fellow inmates "All it would take is for five or ten guys to decide we're going to take over the prison. Said Gary Harkins, former research and information director for ACOIN: "People can get killed when you don't have enough staff. Attorneys for the state quizzed Wynn why he didnt take steps that might have allowed him to avoid the attack. Corrections officers flocked to the scene after the stabbings, but only one shank was recovered. 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 . 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. 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. But Vazquez stabbed and killed Turner using another improvised weapon, a sharpened metal plate. 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. 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. In a statement to the Observer, N.C. Secretary of Public Safety Frank Perry wrote: Management changes have been made at Lanesboro, but many other initiatives are in the works that include increasing staff, providing additional staff training and partnering with outside law enforcement and investigative agencies.. The first to enter is Julio Zelaya-Sorto, convicted of shooting and killing a man at a Greensboro nightclub. Had there been more, he said, one female officer might never have been assaulted. 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. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. Walls testimony was brief and he did not elaborate on the hidden weapons. The facility was a detention center, not a penitentiary, meaning that the inmates had not yet been tried or convicted. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. 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. [16] The group is believed to be responsible for the death of Jos Ismael Pedrosa, the director of the prison at the time. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. The incident was reported around1:30 p.m. at theLanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton. Zelaya-Sorto pulls out a shank a handmade knife from inside his jumpsuit and lunges at Cook. He pleads with two other inmates to lend him a weapon. 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. Searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. One of the officers seen making the keep-quiet gesture was Jeffery Wall, a former prison unit manager who was fired months after inmate Wesley Turners murder. Main Office: One of those officers fell and hurt her knee when she went to Callahan's defense, Jernigan said. Some of the DVDs showed fights between inmates, Bridges said. Meggan Callahan was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution Wednesday evening. "And this time it came up snake eyes," he said. Hes a rookie at Lanesboro who is new to that job, still learning who to let in and who to keep out. But by that time, the officer was already bleeding profusely. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. [9] [21] Parsons, now retired, testified Tuesday that during his time at Lanesboro, he took a number of steps to reduce violence and keep weapons out of the hands of inmates. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - One inmate is dead andanother injured after an incident at a state prison in Anson County. Channel 9 has investigated Lanesboro, a maximum-security prison, for years. 11.291 (IACmHR, Apr. Many of the large maximum-security prisons such as Bertie and Lanesboro are located in rural areas, where recruiting can be difficult. Why did NC prison officer hide weapons in his office ceiling Prisons to weaken correctional officer vetting, critics says His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. At a pre-disciplinary conference, Wall told prison officials he was planning to put the shanks in a display case that would be used to train new staff members. 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. [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. 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. ", "The inmates literally say, 'You all are understaffed, so if we wanted to, we could overtake this prison.' 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. 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. Friends and family described Juan Ortiz-Castillo as very jealous of his wife, according to police. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. Accessed March 29, 2018. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. Located in Polkton, about 45 miles east of Charlotte, Lanesboro has repeatedly drawn. 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. 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 spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. None of the officers convicted have served their sentences. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. No prison officials have been criminally charged. For almost two years, an Observer reporter exchanged letters with inmate Christopher Cook, who described what led to the attack that killed Turner. Press TV on Twitter: "RT @PresstvExtra: At least 40 people have been 227 West Trade St. 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. [8], In April 2013, 23 policemen involved in the massacre were sentenced to 156 years in prison each for the killing of 13 inmates. Cook said he met him in 2001, when Turner came to his aid in a fight against correctional officers. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. Testimony from former unit manager Jeffery Wall came during the second day of a civil trial examining whether Walls supervisor, the top official at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, ignored serious problems and allowed Wall to maintain a violent, contraband-driven fiefdom.. 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.". 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. 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. Turner, 35, a convicted murderer nicknamed Thug Life, has served most of his 21-year prison sentence. Often, exhausted prison officers fall asleep on the job, too. in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement, A.S. in Criminal Justice, B.S. He got the nickname Ghost Face as the only white kid hanging out in a Durham housing project. NC prison officers skip security rounds, endanger inmates | Raleigh 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. Have a question about Government Services? NC inmates win payouts over prison violence - Burlington Times News Strong of the FBIs Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making the announcement. Richard Dwyer, a prisoner at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, died Aug. 17 of an apparent suicide, a state Department of Public Safety news release said. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. Police are asking anyone with information related to the Easley murder to contact them immediately. Wall was transferred to work at a different prison while under investigation in July 2013. In interviews with investigators, officer Kearry Hinson said he picked up one of the weapons used in the fight and gave it to Wall. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. 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. 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. ANSON COUNTY, N.C. One inmate is dead after an incident at Lanesboro Correctional Center in Anson County. About 45 miles from Charlotte, just beyond a grove of trees, Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses some of the states most violent criminals. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. Both are members of the Folk Nation. 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. Police haven't arrested his shooter and there are big questions about what led up to Thursday. 34/00, Case No. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. 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. The confrontation began at about 8:30 a.m., when an inmate assaulted another inmate at . It was shocking to see the place wasnt being supervised with more of the restrictions that youd expect in a prison, she said. Id like to see the truth be told about what really does go on in here.. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. 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. At Polk Correctional Institution, north of Durham, two or three officers are routinely put in charge of monitoring more than 200 inmates in the chow hall, said Sierra Gravitte, an officer who this month resigned from the prison after four years on the job. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility. Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seemed clear: Keep your mouth shut. 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. 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. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. Hes a manager at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So Paulo (Secretaria da Administrao Penitenciria), Brazil, Corrections in So Paulo, So Paulo Brazil. 4 correctional officers assaulted at North Carolina prison One inmate warned Lanesboro prison officials that Latino gang members were armed with homemade knives and planning an attack. It's odd that (the gang members) are meeting with Wall minutes before the attack, Smith said. Often, observers say, officers let inmates visit and congregate in administrative offices. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. 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. 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. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. in Justice Studies and M.S. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. "When your shift starts at 5:30 a.m. and you work 12 hours and you get told you're held over till 9 (p.m.) you're not alert. Correctional officer, father of 2 killed in shooting - WSOC TV Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. The. February 2017 - Former officer Evangeline Hunt was charged with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. The crackdown has reduced assaults, a DPS spokesman said. Officers found Dwyer dead at 10:15. Dates, what you need to know, Winthrop loses to Radford in Big South tournament quarterfinals, Bonnaroo vows to stay champion of self-expression despite Tennessee drag show ban. The current capacity of Lanesboro Correctional Institution is 1,400 adult male inmates. Asheville:(828) 271-4661. "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. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. Three officers assaulted at Bertie Correctional Institution - WITN If the officer knew an assault was going to take place, would he have opened the door? Bridges asked. 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.