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. 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. It was shocking to see the place wasnt being supervised with more of the restrictions that youd expect in a prison, she said. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. 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. Designed to hold 1,400 inmates, the prison has a staff of about 500. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. Copyright 2012 WBTV. He ran over and subdued the prisoner. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. McCoy heard the officer curse and saw her struggling with an inmate. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "You can only spread people so thin," she said. [24] Consequently, the prosecutor is initiating an appeal and the process remains ongoing. 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. At the time, she was responding to a fire that had been set inside the. 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. 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. Another prisoner also slips through the door. He sued and won a $10,000 settlement from the state. But after investigating for more than a year, the SBI closed the case. ", NC prison was understaffed when Sgt. The state says the prison was on lockdown while they investigated the incident. 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. His name has not been released. RALEIGH, N.C. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. 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. 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. November 2013 - A gang member cut a correctional officer three times on the neck and face, requiring 39 stitches, according to a police report. Department spokesman Keith Acree said the two are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. Many of the large maximum-security prisons such as Bertie and Lanesboro are located in rural areas, where recruiting can be difficult. Wall, now 45, wouldnt talk to the Observer. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. 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. 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. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Nikki Haley will be at Horry-Georgetown Technical College on March 13, a month after she launched her White House bid. Bridges said forensic tests did not conclusively tie any of the weapons in Walls office to the attack on Turner. "I think if I hadn't gotten over there in time, (Mosley) probably would have cut her throat," McCoy said. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte: (704) 344-6222 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. 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. In January, police and prosecutors teamed up with the prisons new administrator, John Herring, to begin criminally charging inmates caught with weapons. They assert that releasing the videos could jeopardize prison security. "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. [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. 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. 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. Lock [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. 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 murder, which occurred on Thursday June 5 in the hours before Easley and his father planned to watch the first game of the NBA finals together, left his family devastated. Other prison staff members showed him where it was, he said. I characterize the lack of supervision there as, quite frankly, shocking, Roberts said. In 2017, The New York Times published an article captioned "Brazils Deadly Prison System". 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. Two state investigators said they reached the same opinion. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. Both of the attacks involved weapons. He acknowledged that he had heard complaints about Wall from officers at the prison, but they had no concrete evidence.. The pay is low an average of the about $35,000 annually at maximum-security prisons and the work is dangerous and demanding. 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? 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. 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. But he said that Gov. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. The Observer repeatedly tried to reach Wall to discuss the Turner murder and the lawsuit allegations. None of the officers convicted have served their sentences. Wesley Turnerwas stabbed to death and taken to Anson Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Parsons declined to talk with the Observer about that and other allegations. Hodges was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Food Service Officer (Former Employee) - Wadesboro, NC - August 31, 2019. A typical day working at Lanesboro Correctional Institute was a stressful and dangerous job. Prison officials considered that a clear threat to staff. He was scheduled to stay in jail until 2017. Its also unclear where Zelays-Sorto and Ortiz go immediately after the meeting breaks up. Meggan Callahan was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution Wednesday evening. At least eight Lanesboro officers were caught bringing in drugs, cellphones and tobacco from early 2013 to early 2017, according to law enforcement records. 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.. September 2012 - The stabbing death of inmate Wesley Turner spurred an SBI investigation and led to three felony convictions. Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison after stabbing wife to death, faking intruder, He found a clam on a Florida beach to make some chowder. From a common area, Cook can see Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz the prisoners who have just met with Wall. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. Ortiz, the inmate charged in that stabbing, said his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. An investigation by The Charlotte Observer found that state prison policies and management failures allow corruption to thrive. Updated: 4:34 PM EST November 9, 2012. 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. 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. A prison with 1,000 inmates should have a total of at least 300 to 350 officers, he said. [1], The incident was started by a prisoner revolt. "And this time it came up snake eyes," he said. 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. Walls dismissal letter, obtained by The Observer, states that he had hidden bloody weapons in the ceiling of his old office. 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. 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. Turner, who lived in D pod with the other three inmates, went through the door behind them. Police are asking anyone with information related to the Easley murder to contact them immediately. [9] 34/00, Case No. He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. Among them: a manager suspected of being too close to inmates. The man turns and looks directly into the room. But, Cook said, Turner usually kept to himself. No, I dont think he would have.. Statewide, correctional officers received more than $12 million in overtime in 2015, the Observer found. Its the few who dont who make problems for everybody.. He goes straight to Cook, who is bleeding, and motions for him to get down on his knees. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. The first to enter is Julio Zelaya-Sorto, convicted of shooting and killing a man at a Greensboro nightclub. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. 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. A correctional officer in the state of North Carolina was recently murdered, just one month before his wedding. The North Carolina . Bias Easley was a corrections officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, near Wadesboro. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. 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. News anchor Fred Shropshire is leaving Charlotte station WCNC. in Justice Studies and M.S. The CO was reportedly stabbed and suffered heavy bleeding after responding to an inmate fight. Wall was transferred to work at a different prison while under investigation in July 2013. 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. 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. 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. He was not asked to explain why. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. In 2014, Vazquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing Turner. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Three inmates from the Lanesboro Correctional Institute in Polkton have been indicted by an Anson County Grand Jury for the September 28, 2012 murder of a fellow inmate, and an assault on a second inmate. If Cooks DNA had turned up on any of the shanks in Walls office, that could have helped tie them to the attack. Soon afterward, Vazquez attacked and killed Turner. Heres how SBI officials say the early afternoon fight unfolded: Shortly before the attack, two of the convicted inmates visited the office of an assistant unit manager. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. 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. Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. 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. When investigators examine surveillance videos of the murder, theyre troubled by what happens a few hours later: A man approaches a nurses office, where the killer is being held. What happened to (the shanks)? asked SBI agent Audria Bridges, who led the investigation into Turners murder. October 2016 - Former correctional officer Scarlette Hodges pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband to at least one inmate. 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. He stares into the office for a few moments before walking away. Asheville:(828) 271-4661. By Ames Alexander, Gavin Off and Elizabeth Leland. Officers and staff have orchestrated illegal smuggling operations, beaten shackled inmates and engaged in sex with prisoners. 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. In a recorded phone conversation, Hunt told a friend she knew a bunch of corrupt officers, according to an FBI affidavit. Many of North Carolina's maximum-security prisons are operating dangerously short of staff, current and former correctional officers told the Observer. Turner, 35, had also been serving time for second-degree murder and was scheduled for release in 2017. 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. Ortiz was sentenced to 37 to 57 months. The officer noticed a gun in Walls vehicle, the letter states. Then they returned to D pod, the unit where they lived. Parsons testified that it was easy for inmates to make weapons, from broom handles, batteries and even toothbrushes.