For almost two years, an Observer reporter exchanged letters with inmate Christopher Cook, who described what led to the attack that killed Turner. Phillip Boney, a former Lanesboro officer, told the Observer that right after the fight, he saw Wall put a shank inside an unlocked wooden podium near the cell block. A North Carolina inmate has been sentenced to at least 12 more years in prison for the gang-related murder of a fellow inmate, a case that has exposed further problems at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. Heres a look at incidents at Lanesboro Correctional Institution since its opening in 2004: January 2009 - Inmate Bill Rayburn alleged he was repeatedly pepper-sprayed by correctional officers twice while he was naked after he requested medical help. Inmates indicted on murder charges for death and injury of fellow inmates 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 Criminal Justice - Corrections, and M.S. September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM 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. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. Prison officials refused to open Cooks cell door so that investigators could get a DNA sample, Bridges said. In court documents, Parsons has denied that. Wall and another prison manager walk down the hallway minutes later, then stop outside the office. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. A correctional officer in the state of North Carolina was recently murdered, just one month before his wedding. Ballistic evidence indicated that 515 bullets were found in the prisoners. At the time, she was responding to a fire that had been set inside the. 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.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He stretches his arms wide above his head, then lowers them and covers his mouth with both hands. 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. Have a question about Government Services? (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. The massacre has also sparked ongoing discussions, both in Brazil and internationally about Brazil's prison system. Where, she wondered, were the shanks used to attack Cook and Turner? McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. This story was originally published December 13, 2014, 4:41 PM. 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. Its so dangerous that some officers begin their work days by asking those coming off the previous shift how many assaults theyve just seen. 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. Walls dismissal letter, obtained by The Observer, states that he had hidden bloody weapons in the ceiling of his old office. Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough. Food Service Officer (Former Employee) - Wadesboro, NC - August 31, 2019. Prisoner dies in riot at Lanesboro - journalnow.com Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. 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. Copyright 2012 WBTV. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes. On the morning of Sept. 28, 2012, the day that Turner was stabbed to death, there were rumors of potential violence. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So Paulo (Secretaria da Administrao Penitenciria), Brazil, Corrections in So Paulo, So Paulo Brazil. 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.". Wall said he put the shanks in the ceiling because he couldnt lock his desk drawer or file cabinet, his dismissal letter states. Did prison guards conspire with inmates, gangs at North Carolina prison Accessed March 29, 2018. 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. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. He pleads with two other inmates to lend him a weapon. Often, exhausted prison officers fall asleep on the job, too. Contact SAP - Penitentiary Administration of So - corrections.direct One inmate dead, another injured in prison incident - WBTV But only one shank was recovered. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. 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 is the first staff member to arrive. A veteran SC attorney weighs in, Alex Murdaugh murder trial jury begins deliberations same day 1 juror is removed. 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. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate. He was sentenced to 32 to 48 months. Why did NC prison officer hide weapons in his office ceiling Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. [16] The group is believed to be responsible for the death of Jos Ismael Pedrosa, the director of the prison at the time. 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. 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. Soon afterward, Vazquez attacked and killed Turner. Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte: (704) 344-6222 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. [8], In April 2013, 23 policemen involved in the massacre were sentenced to 156 years in prison each for the killing of 13 inmates. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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. [13] Although not entirely certain, his death was likely the result of his role in the massacre. Roy Cooper has asked him to review the circumstances "to ensure this doesn't happen again.". Turner walks over to Cook and they stand shoulder to shoulder, braced for an attack. In an 11-week period in early 2016, more than 15 staff members left Lanesboro under suspicion of wrongdoing, Mitchell said. December 2010 - Thirteen inmates assaulted staff members in various attacks, state records show. Both are members of the Folk Nation. 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. The facility houses medium- and close-security inmates. 11.291 (IACmHR, Apr. "If you had more staff, then you might have been looking at hurt staff instead of dead staff" (on the day Callahan died), Harkins said. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. They have a very difficult job Most of them do it the right way. I didnt have enough cooperation to connect the dots, she said. One of Brazil's most notorious gangs, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), is said to have formed in 1993 as a response to the event. Cook said he met him in 2001, when Turner came to his aid in a fight against correctional officers. Hes a rookie at Lanesboro who is new to that job, still learning who to let in and who to keep out. 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. The North Carolina . 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. "It's so dangerous," Gravitte said. The case was brought before the inter-American Commission by The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Teotnio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch, and in 2000, eight years after the massacre, they condemned Brazil for it. Wilburn English, a prison sergeant who previously worked at Lanesboro, recalled a day when Parsons and Wall came to talk with him. North Carolina Correctional Officer Killed in Front of Home Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. POLKTON, N.C. -- Authorities in North Carolina say two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers were assaulted with a broom handle in an attackat a state prison. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Then he covers his mouth. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. Western North Carolina In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. 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. You're tired. Later that afternoon, Wall arrived at the Lanesboro parking lot, according to a prison document. Thats Wall in the white shirt and tie entering the hallway on the video. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. Wall, now 45, wouldnt talk to the Observer. In 2012, an inmate filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Lanesboro corrections officers cracked his skull with a baton and then destroyed a surveillance video that showed the assault. 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. To cope with the shortages, many prisons have also paid hundreds of thousands each year for overtime. The suits also contend that Wall facilitated attacks on two other inmates the same year Turner was killed. Inmates often hid contraband in body cavities, Parsons said. Prisons to weaken correctional officer vetting, critics says Turner, who lived in D pod with the other three inmates, went through the door behind them. 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. All three of the Latino inmates had sharp weapons. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. Designed to hold 1,400 inmates, the prison has a staff of about 500. 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. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. Do you want to share documents or information about the North Carolina prisons? "It's not safe," McCoy said. Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. But by that time, the officer was already bleeding profusely. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. Other prisoners were killed by police dogs. Now comes the gesture. [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. A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said. Our site does not feature every educational option available on the market. He got the nickname Ghost Face as the only white kid hanging out in a Durham housing project. Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. 4 correctional officers assaulted at North Carolina prison The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith said. Forensic tests did not tie any of the shanks in Walls ceiling to the attacks on Turner, according to Bridges, the SBI agent. Id like to see the truth be told about what really does go on in here.. 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. Lo's lawyer confirmed to Brazilian news outlet G1 on Sunday that Lo was killed Saturday at a concert in So Paulo. SBI agents who investigated the killing said in interviews this week that they have no proof that corrections officers were trying to help the assailants. Then they returned to D pod, the unit where they lived. Its clearly not a place where theyre learning to go the straight and narrow, he said. Are there more visitors than ever in Bradenton, Sarasota as peak season approaches? In 2017, The New York Times published an article captioned "Brazils Deadly Prison System". A lock ( programs we write about. Feds, state investigating gangs at NC prison | Rock Hill Herald Zelaya-Sorto pulls out a shank a handmade knife from inside his jumpsuit and lunges at Cook. NC sergeant killed by inmate worked in understaffed prison | Charlotte 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. [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. There, Ortiz and Zelaya-Sorto attacked and seriously injured inmate Christopher Cook. Jeremy Smith, who also represented Vazquez, formed the same opinion: Our theory is that, at best, the corrections officers knew (the attack) was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, he told the Observer. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. Bias Easley was a corrections officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, near Wadesboro. Just out of view, in the lower right-hand corner of the video, a second fight erupts. Other former Lanesboro inmates also say that corrections officers have made a dangerous environment more so. Relatives of those killed and human rights activists have both demanded and appealed for justice. 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. 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. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have also documented statistics of police violence and acquittals in Brazil. October 2016 - Former correctional officer Scarlette Hodges pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband to at least one inmate. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. In interviews with investigators, officer Kearry Hinson said he picked up one of the weapons used in the fight and gave it to Wall. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. 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. Combined, theyve been cited for dozens of offenses while in prison, including weapon possession, fighting and assault. About 45 miles from Charlotte, just beyond a grove of trees, Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses some of the states most violent criminals. Statewide, about 16 percent of officer positions are vacant. Ortiz and Vazquez didnt respond to the Observers requests for information about the case. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. 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. If (prison officials) cant answer that question, why cant they?. It was shocking to see the place wasnt being supervised with more of the restrictions that youd expect in a prison, she said. He was not asked to explain why. 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 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. All three belonged to gangs. This story was originally published December 4, 2014, 6:58 PM. Often, observers say, officers let inmates visit and congregate in administrative offices. Following the attack, more than 800 inmates were put on lockdown for several months. He said the injuries he suffered in the 2011 attack have made it impossible for him to lift much weight above his head or work some prison jobs. In 2012, an inmate filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Lanesboro corrections officers cracked his skull with a baton and then destroyed a surveillance video that showed the assault. Now two NC men face prison. NC prison officers sleep on the job, putting lives at risk | Raleigh He was found dead in his cell the following morning, a victim of coronary artery disease. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. "It puts officers' lives in danger to be honest. 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. The three wait outside Cooks cell block for more than a minute. [7], The country was in major shock from the massacre. 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. 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. At other prisons of comparable size, officers told the Observer, it's common for about 50 or 60 officers to work the day shift. But Harkins said the numbers provided by North Carolina suggest Bertie was "severely understaffed.". Polkton is 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. 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. The dismissal letter, signed by Lanesboros acting administrator at the time, called Walls statement a clear threat of injury or harm to staff.. Multiple attempts to reach Wall and Peguese including visits to their last known addresses in Anson County were unsuccessful. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Staff researcher Maria David and David Raynor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer contributed. 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 corrections officer opened the door that allowed the three convicted inmates into an adjacent pod. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. It is a close custody facility, which is the equivalent of maximum security. He joined the Folk Nation at age 16, was convicted of damaging property soon afterward, and later committed armed robbery, kidnapping and more than a dozen other crimes. He also said he had not kept a gun in plain view inside his car, contrary to what a corrections officer had reported. Moments earlier, the video shows former prison sergeant Jonathan Peguese making the identical gesture toward the office where one of the other suspects was held, the lawyers said. The crackdown has reduced assaults, a DPS spokesman said. 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. For months, Bridges tried to make sense of what she saw at the murder scene and on surveillance video. Turner reportedly belonged to the same gang as Cook and was trying to go to his defense. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. According to Acree, the prison is temporarily locked down while an investigation begins. 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. Its the few who dont who make problems for everybody.. It's as simple as that.". Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. Channel 9 has investigated Lanesboro, a maximum-security prison, for years. Wall had been assigned to another prison while the Turner investigation was underway. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. Heres how to check the conditions. State prison policy says weapons potential criminal evidence should be kept in a locked container in the prisons armory. In July 2013, 10 months after the attack, Bridges was at Lanesboro interviewing an inmate when she got a tip. Working at Lanesboro Correctional Institution: 17 Reviews - Indeed First published on September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM. ", "The inmates literally say, 'You all are understaffed, so if we wanted to, we could overtake this prison.' The fatal fight broke out roughly five minutes after the inmates left the office. Follow Press TV on Telegram: http://t.me . Staff stabbed, guards attacked with broom handle at N.C. prison - CBS News - 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. [2] The conflict consisted of 2,069 prisoners against 15 guards, resulting in the guards quickly losing control of the prisoners. "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. Officials say the men used a homemade shank as a weapon. Bridges said she doesnt believe that. Officials: Lanesboro guard smuggled heroin for inmate 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. Had there been more, he said, one female officer might never have been assaulted. He said I could face an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint for making false accusations.. The officer said Wall asked her to go into his old office and retrieve a bag of shanks from the ceiling. Peguese resigned from the system in May 2013, while he was under investigation, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Pamela Walker. 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. Special Agent in Charge John A. [9] I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. Vazquez and Zelaya-Sorto are scheduled for release in 2028. 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. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. Five years after the murder, Lanesboros problems continue. Willis, G. D. (2002). 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.. Our theory is that, at best, the corrections officers knew (the attack) was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, Smith said. Attorneys for Vazquez said their client never told them what led to the fight. David Mitchell, a Harley-riding former Navy officer brought in to run the prison in 2014, was attacked three times in his first eight months once stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a dagger fashioned from melted plastic. Corrections officers recovered another improvised weapon at the scene a sharpened metal plate, which may have come from a prison door.