UTICA, N.Y. — Charges were brought against ten New York prison guards in connection with the fatal beating of a 22-year-old inmate in March, leading to two facing murder accusations. The indictments emanated amidst troubling reports of oversight and management lapses within the state’s penal institutions.
The prison guards were implicated in the death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility, where he sustained fatal injuries and succumbed to massive head trauma on March 1. In a disturbing revelation, three officers were additionally accused of fabricating a report that Nantwi possessed a makeshift weapon, allegedly to justify their use of force.
This indictment follows another distressing incident at Marcy Correctional Facility, where an inmate’s death earlier in the year led to murder charges against six guards. Both facilities are located near Utica, highlighting ongoing concerns about the treatment of inmates in the region.
During the period leading up to Nantwi’s death, the state’s prisons were enduring a wildcat strike by guards protesting working conditions, starting February 17. This unauthorized walkout prompted the intervention of the National Guard to sustain basic operations, exacerbating tensions and deteriorating conditions within the facilities.
On Wednesday, attorneys for Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, the two guards charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, entered pleas of not guilty. They, along with three other guards, are implicated in what the indictment describes as showing “depraved indifference” to Nantwi’s life by delaying critical medical care after the beating.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the acts, labeling them as “horrific crimes” and underscoring the gravity of the betrayal of trust, given correction officers’ roles in safeguarding inmate welfare.
According to the indictment details, the violent encounter began when Levi, Blair, and others responded to a call for assistance in Nantwi’s cell over an unspecified concern. Initially compliant, Nantwi reportedly resisted when an attempt was made to handcuff him without clear justification, which led to a severe physical retaliation from the responding officers.
Nantwi was then transported towards the infirmary but was assaulted again en route and further abused inside the infirmary’s holding cell, the indictment alleges.
Among the ten charged, six are accused directly of engaging in the physical assault on Nantwi. The group includes Levi, Blair, Eck, Craig Klemick, Daniel Burger, and Sgt. Francis Chandler Jr., all facing varying degrees of assault and manslaughter charges.
Efforts to cover up the true events of that day extended to four other guards who are accused of making false statements or tampering with evidence to shield their colleagues. This purported cover-up involved senior ranking officers, highlighting systemic issues within the institution’s handling of such violent incidents.
Special Prosecutor William Fitzpatrick is handling the case after the state attorney general’s office recused itself, citing conflicts due to representing involved officers in civil matters.
Nantwi had been serving a sentence since the previous May for a firearms possession conviction tied to a shootout involving police in 2021. Additional charges linked him to fatal shootings in New York City prior to his incarceration.
The case continues to unfold as the community and advocates watch closely, hoping for justice and calling for reforms to prevent future tragedies within the state’s correctional facilities.