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. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. At 11:49 a.m., less than half an hour before the fatal fight begins, Wall walks into an office with an inmate. August 2011 - Eighteen inmates assaulted staff members throughout the month. 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. He would not discuss the lawsuit or his testimony with an Observer reporter. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. And they say pay increases approved by the legislature in 2015 will also help with recruiting. If you go down to the local high school, you would see a way more controlled atmosphere than you saw in this video.. Food Service Officer (Former Employee) - Wadesboro, NC - August 31, 2019. This story was originally published December 13, 2014, 4:41 PM. Staff researcher Maria David and editor Rogelio Aranda contributed. English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. He goes straight to Cook, who is bleeding, and motions for him to get down on his knees. Wall told Bridges that he was asking about rumors of a planned attack on him. But, Cook said, Turner usually kept to himself. Authorities say prison Sgt. in Criminal Justice, The Panopticon: The Controversy Over an 18th Century Prison Concept Thats Still in Use Today, Quick Work by Tennessee Correctional Officers Foils Escape Plan, California Correctional Officers Honored for Saving Lives While Off-Duty, Florida Corrections Officer Taken Hostage Found Unharmed, Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska Offers Job Training Workshops to Help Inmates Re-enter Society. Ortiz is scheduled to get out in 2019. Wall had been assigned to another prison while the Turner investigation was underway. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. The facility houses medium- and close-security inmates. 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. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption to thrive. - 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. "If inmates wanted to jump another inmate or take somebody out that day, that would be the time to do it when you're understaffed. They are now suing the facility. September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM Often, exhausted prison officers fall asleep on the job, too. [6], By the end of the day, 111 prisoners were dead; and 37 more were injured. But prison officials did release the monthly figures, which show that the prison had 211 officers available to work in April. Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. Polkton is 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. 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. More than 45 N.C. prison officers have been fired . State prison leaders say they are holding many hiring events and partnering with schools and military bases to fill jobs. 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. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. As soon as the inmates entered D pod, Ortiz and Sorto attacked Cook, surveillance video shows. Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. 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. 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.. [21] Once in a lifetime, After years of negotiations, GOP leaders reach a breakthrough on Medicaid expansion, Alex Murdaughs attorneys say theyll appeal double-murder conviction, 16-year-old Raleigh teen charged with murder in Robeson County killing, The evidence was clear: Murdaugh juror reveals quick deliberation in SC murder trial, Day 29: Murdaugh sentenced to life, attorneys say theyll appeal to US Supreme Court if needed, What were the deciding factors in the Murdaugh guilty verdict? 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. 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. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. [18] In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. Bridges, 46, a North Carolina State graduate and former Concord police officer, was familiar with Lanesboro. State prison policy says weapons potential criminal evidence should be kept in a locked container in the prisons armory. Roy Cooper has asked him to review the circumstances "to ensure this doesn't happen again.". 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. Turner, 35, a convicted murderer nicknamed Thug Life, has served most of his 21-year prison sentence. Since the beginning of 2016, more than 30 stabbings occurred. The CO was reportedly stabbed and suffered heavy bleeding after responding to an inmate fight. [14] Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. 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. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. 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. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. Investigators and lawyers believe a prison manager knew the attack was coming. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. 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. But local law enforcement officials are optimistic about changes at Lanesboro. One Polk officer made $29,800 in salary in 2015. A video taken inside Lanesboro Correctional Institution shows prison officials gesturing to suspects in an inmates 2012 murder to keep their mouths shut after the killing, lawyers who represented one of the suspects said. This story was originally published July 17, 2018, 8:17 PM. Often, observers say, officers let inmates visit and congregate in administrative offices. To cope with the shortages, many prisons have also paid hundreds of thousands each year for overtime. Hodges was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Asheville:(828) 271-4661. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Suite 1650 That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. 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. Officers and prisoners say he had a reputation for doing favors for gang members. He pleads with two other inmates to lend him a weapon. 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. On Dec. 28, a guard at Brown Creek Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison located adjacent to Lanesboro, was accused of trying to smuggle marijuana and painkillers into the facility to give to an inmate there. 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. The dismissal letter, signed by Lanesboros acting administrator at the time, called Walls statement a clear threat of injury or harm to staff.. The prison has a staff complement of 403 employees including correctional officers, administrators, food service, medical, dental and maintenance workers. Wynn alleges that another inmate stabbed him in the chest with a weapon resembling a filet knife, then threw a chair at him. Bridges said she doesnt believe that. 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. 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. Meggan Callahan was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution Wednesday evening. 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. [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. Cook is unarmed. Have a question about Government Services? They assert that releasing the videos could jeopardize prison security. Then he covers his mouth. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility. Just out of view, in the lower right-hand corner of the video, a second fight erupts. 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. The vigil and pleas for justice led to several trials for the officers involved in the massacre that same year. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Wesley Turner, a former inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, was stabbed to death in a 2012 prison fight. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. Among them: a manager suspected of being too close to inmates. I would like to see the truth be told about what happens at Lanesboro. 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. Wall is the first staff member to arrive. in Criminal Justice - Corrections, and M.S. Lock Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. Ronald Covington, a former captain at Lanesboro, testified that Wall appeared to be close to a gang-affiliated inmate. ANSON COUNTY, N.C. One inmate is dead after an incident at Lanesboro Correctional Center in Anson County. Lanesboro Correctional Institution Lanesboro Correctional Institution is located in Polkton North Carolina. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. State prison officials refused to say how many staff were on duty the day Callahan died. In a recorded phone conversation, Hunt told a friend she knew a bunch of corrupt officers, according to an FBI affidavit. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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.. The indictment was unsealed today in federal court, following Blyther's arrest by the FBI. 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. They refuse. 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. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. "It's so dangerous," Gravitte said. State prison leaders refused requests for all surveillance videos that show incidents in which Wall is accused of helping inmates wage attacks. [9] Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 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. 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. He acknowledged that he had heard complaints about Wall from officers at the prison, but they had no concrete evidence.. But Vazquez stabbed and killed Turner using another improvised weapon, a sharpened metal plate. 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. Shortly after 3 p.m., almost three hours after the attack, correctional officers lead Vazquez into a nurses office. State figures show that in April, when Callahan died, roughly one of every five correctional officer positions at the eastern North Carolina prison was vacant. "They might have had enough officers to subdue that inmate before he got that fire extinguisher from the sergeant," said Robert Webster, a former captain at two North Carolina maximum-security prisons. It's unclear whether better staffing would have saved Callahan's life. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. The Observer repeatedly tried to reach Wall to discuss the Turner murder and the lawsuit allegations. 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. Located in Polkton, about 45 miles east of Charlotte, Lanesboro has repeatedly drawn. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. All three of the Latino inmates had sharp weapons. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. 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. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. But only one shank was recovered. News anchor Fred Shropshire is leaving Charlotte station WCNC. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. He was not asked to explain why. He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. Some correctional officers have more than doubled their income by working overtime. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer last year found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption and violence to thrive. His name has not been released. 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. Our theory is that, at best, the corrections officers knew (the attack) was going to happen and did nothing to stop it, Smith said. 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. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. 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.The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. 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. Officers found Dwyer dead at 10:15. 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. Other former Lanesboro inmates also say that corrections officers have made a dangerous environment more so. 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. 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. Officers and staff have orchestrated illegal smuggling operations, beaten shackled inmates and engaged in sex with prisoners. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. [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. 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. 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. 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. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. 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. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. Updated: 4:34 PM EST November 9, 2012. 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 . Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, Get ready to change your clocks. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. Copyright 2012 WBTV. The prison is named for the nearby community of Lanesboro. He also said he had not kept a gun in plain view inside his car, contrary to what a corrections officer had reported. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. 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. He said three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and are being questioned. The suits also contend that Wall facilitated attacks on two other inmates the same year Turner was killed. Vazquez and Zelaya-Sorto are scheduled for release in 2028. Cook, the target of the 2012 attack, was released from prison in March. 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. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. He died helping me, Cook wrote in a letter to the Observer. research before making any education decisions. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. Wynn said he did not want to be branded as a prison snitch, a label that can get inmates hurt. 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. None of the officers convicted have served their sentences. Driver arrested after video shows him nearly hitting students at their school bus stop. When Callahan was attacked, two other officers were nearby, according to Anthony Jernigan, who heads the State Bureau of Investigation office that covers northeastern North Carolina. 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. In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. The other inmate who was injured is being treated for his injuries. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. The two inmates meet in the office with Wall, other administrators and members of the United Blood Nation gang, off and on, for 17 minutes. That was one of three times inmates attacked Mitchell. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. 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. Both of the attacks involved weapons. First published on September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM. Three correctional officers were assaulted late last week at the same state prison where an officer was killed two years ago. Parsons declined to talk with the Observer about that and other allegations. Bridges said forensic tests did not conclusively tie any of the weapons in Walls office to the attack on Turner. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. Leandro Lo, a legendary jiu-jitsu fighter, was killed in Brazil, according to MMA Junkie.He was 33 years old. Wesley Turner has come to defend Cook, his friend. The massacre also received attention from the BBC with several articles in the last several years dealing with the vigils and the trials.