Latest news with #Baserman
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Kendrick found guilty of first-degree murder in prison sergeant's death; jurors to consider sentence next week
SOMERSET, Pa. – A state prison inmate will face the possibility of a death sentence next week for fatally assaulting Sgt. Mark Baserman in 2018 at SCI-Somerset. Paul Jawon Kendrick, 29, was convicted of the most serious charge against him – first-degree murder – and four other counts Friday by a Somerset County jury. Looks of relief swept over the faces of Baserman's family members in court as the jury foreman read the guilty verdicts aloud. Kendrick sat motionless between his defense attorneys, later wiping his eyes as jurors were polled, stood one at a time and confirmed they each agreed with the panel's findings. Kendrick was acquitted of one aggravated assault charge related to then-corrections officer William McDowell Jr., who was struck several times while trying to stop Kendrick's attack on Baserman in an institutional recreation room Feb. 15, 2018. But Kendrick was also convicted of assault by prisoner on McDowell and Baserman, and aggravated assault and assault causing serious bodily injury to Baserman, following the jury's nearly three hours of deliberation at the Somerset County Courthouse. Neither side's attorneys had comment Friday while leaving the courtroom. Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar said her staff was switching focus to the upcoming capital 'penalty' sentencing phase of the trial. That phase will begin Tuesday. Jurors will be reassembled in court to consider whether Kendrick, who is already serving a life prison sentence for an unrelated 2014 homicide in Pittsburgh, should be sent to death row. That includes weighing 'aggravating' factors that would support sentencing Kendrick to death against 'mitigating' factors that would cause jurors to instead impose a life sentence without the possibility of parole. It will be the first capital sentencing in Somerset County in decades, court officials have said. Kendrick's trial ran for four days this week. It was also seven years in the making, delayed partly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike in many homicides, Kendrick didn't have a gun, a blade or a manifesto – but Somerset County First Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leiden told jurors that didn't matter. During his closing argument, Leiden lifted one of Kendrick's blood-stained Timberland work boots before swinging it hard on the witness stand to remind jurors of its potential as a weapon. Then he replayed surveillance video of the attack, pausing it to highlight moments Kendrick approached Baserman several times, apparently about the towel that Baserman had confiscated from Kendrick earlier that day. Their final encounter started with Kendrick 'sucker-punching' Baserman, 60, and following up with a rapid flurry of punches toward the fallen guard's head, video showed. After fighting off McDowell's attempt to stop the attack, Kendrick delivered a sprinting kick, in Leiden's words, 'as hard as a person could kick.' 'It was no accident,' Leiden said, likening the kick to an NFL punter's gameday approach. 'He wanted Mark dead.' Defense attorney Tim Burns had a different view in his closing argument. Defense attorneys didn't dispute that Kendrick was upset about the towel, which was confiscated after he used it to block his prison cell window, or that Kendrick attacked Baserman later that day. But they described the assault as a reckless act of impulse by Kendrick – that the inmate 'lost it' and began hitting Baserman in a fit of anger. One inmate testified that Kendrick had his wisdom teeth removed earlier that morning. Burns questioned why anyone would carry out a planned attack in broad daylight with another corrections officer, McDowell, close by and dozens of inmates watching as witnesses. 'You saw it,' he said of the video, describing it as a 15- to 20-second attack that ended with Kendrick stopping on his own and then walking away. Burns also noted that Baserman used prescribed blood thinners, which likely worsened his internal bleeding and swelling. The defense urged jurors to issue a manslaughter verdict. Leiden called defense arguments 'red herrings' meant to raise doubt. Kendrick's intent was clear, he told jurors. He pointed to a scene on the surveillance video in which he said it appeared the inmate tightened his loose boots just minutes before the attack. He also reminded the jury that corrections officers testified inmates often took that step before getting into fights in prison. And there was no doubt that even though Baserman survived for 11 days afterward, much of that time in a coma, Kendrick's attack set off an 'unbroken chain' of medical events that led to Baserman's death, Leiden added. A ForensicDx pathologist testified Wednesday that an autopsy showed Baserman suffered significant 'layers' of trauma to every lobe of his brain that caused swelling inside his skull. Pressure on his brain stem led Baserman's organs to fail before his death, Dr. Curtis Goldblatt said. 'Mark just wanted to go to work (that day), be fair and consistent ... and go home again,' Leiden said, adding that Baserman never got that chance: 'Instead, he died a slow death. And Paul Kendrick got exactly what he wanted.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Officers recall corrections sergeant's condition after prison attack
SOMERSET, Pa. – Sgt. Mark Baserman's fellow corrections officers recalled rushing into his unit Feb. 15, 2018, to find him bloodied and motionless on the ground after an attack. In court for the second day of trial Wednesday, one veteran officer wept while testifying that she ran out of first-aid supplies trying to clot Baserman's wounds. Another officer, now-SCI Somerset Sgt. William Durst, said he accompanied Baserman to UPMC Somerset, and now regrets lying to his co-worker during a bedside discussion that night. "I lied to him in every way to keep him calm, cool and collected," Durst recalled on the witness stand, adding that he could see Baserman's condition declining. "I told him he looked OK," Durst said. Baserman died 11 days after the 2018 attack in an SCI-Somerset institutional "day room" - or recreation area. Former SCI-Somerset inmate Paul Kendrick, 29, is charged with criminal homicide and a list of assault charges related to Baserman's death, and for allegedly injuring another officer who tried to stop the altercation. Prosecutors allege Kendrick, who already is sentenced to life in prison for an unrelated 2014 death, intended to kill Baserman. They played a 17-minute surveillance video Monday that showed the attack and moments leading up to it. Defense attorneys have said they aren't disputing Kendrick attacked Baserman that day, but challenged the assertion he was trying to kill the corrections sergeant. Testimony is expected to resume Wednesday afternoon. Check back for more information on this developing story.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Pathologist: Issues from brain trauma killed SCI-Somerset sergeant
SOMERSET, Pa. – Sgt. Mark Baserman's SCI-Somerset colleagues' eyes filled with tears Wednesday in court, recalling the moment they found him beaten and bloodied in 2018. And the Windber-based forensic pathologist who examined Baserman's body 11 days later testified Wednesday that he observed layers of trauma to the corrections sergeant's head and brain. That trauma, and the swelling it caused, created what ForensicDx pathologist Curtis Goldblatt described as a deadly 'domino' effect of complications that led Baserman's condition to decline in the days after he was hospitalized. 'All the dominoes that fell from the initial (trauma) led to all of these problems' Baserman suffered, Goldblatt said, listing breathing difficulties and liver failure among them. 'There was a very significant amount of trauma to every lobe of his brain.' The second day of trial Wednesday in Somerset County District Attorney's Office prosecutors' homicide case against Paul Jawon Kendrick focused largely on the aftermath of the attack on Baserman. Jurors heard testimony from corrections officers, medical caregivers and, lastly, death investigation experts who determined blunt-force trauma complications claimed the corrections sergeant's life. 'Trying to keep him awake'Baserman, 60, was attacked Feb. 15, 2018, during a recreation period inside an institutional 'day room' at SCI-Somerset. Kendrick, 29, is accused of delivering the fatal blows blamed for causing his death 11 days later – with the Somerset County District Attorney's Office seeking a first- degree murder conviction and, if successful, a death sentence. They've argued that Kendrick was angry about Baserman taking his towel that day, and that he laced up his often 'loose' boots with the intent to kill Baserman. In court Wednesday, one veteran officer testified she was working inside a nearby prison unit when the words 'Baserman down' sounded over her emergency radio. Corrections Officer Tina Kopelic said she rushed to help. She took over first aid, concentrating on Baserman's badly injured head. Her voice cracked and tears fell as she told the courtroom she emptied a first-aid kit trying to clot Baserman's wounds on the day room's floor. Kopelic said another guard's shirt was used to apply pressure to his head. 'I was telling him to stay with us, trying to keep him awake,' Kopelic told Somerset District Attorney Molly Metzgar. An SCI-Somerset nurse testified she transported Baserman to an in-house medical room and then spent approximately 20 minutes with him. She placed a thick, absorbent bandage on his head wound before an ambulance crew arrived. Another officer, now-SCI-Somerset Sgt. William Durst, said he responded to Baserman's unit to find his colleague alert and talking, but not moving. Kendrick was already in handcuffs nearby, he said. Durst told Somerset County District Attorney's Office Trial Deputy Christina DeMarco-Breeden that he noticed blood on one of the inmate's Timberland work boots. Durst accompanied Baserman to what is now UPMC Somerset. He recalled Baserman being confused about the incident – and, most of all, worried whether he'd be OK. Over the several hours they spent at Somerset Hospital, Durst said he saw worrying signs. A man Durst described as typically quiet, punctual and often funny seemed less alert. At one point, he spit up blood onto the floor, Durst added. 'I lied to him in every way to keep him calm, cool and collected,' Durst recalled on the witness stand, saying he now regrets lying. 'I told him he looked OK.' Decline, discoveriesA nurse testified she provided care to Baserman at the hospital – and UPMC Somerset Dr. Salvatore Lanasa said he stitched his forehead. But both said it became clear Baserman needed trauma care after he was spotted extending his arms with a sudden involuntary reaction. His palms faced outward, a posture that signaled a brain injury, Lanasa said. He said the medical team decided to transport Baserman to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma hospital, after a scan showed signs of blood on his brain. Defense attorneys Tim Burns and Edward 'E.J' Rymsza asked questions about the timetable and length of time Baserman spent at the prison after the assault and at Somerset Hospital. During cross-examination, Lanasa confirmed to Rymsza that Baserman was prescribed anti-clotting medication prior to the incident – and acknowledged that would thin his blood and could make any bleeds 'significantly' worse. Goldblatt had the same response about blood-thinning medication, saying that included internal injuries. Goldblatt said blood found on the surface of Baserman's brain could increase pressure and reduce space for the injured brain. But he also pointed to fluid that was putting pressure on the brain stem, and Baserman's involuntary 'posturing,' as a sign he was suffering from 'very serious' trauma to the area where the brain connects to the spinal cord. Given that the brain stem plays a critical role in heart and respiratory functions, it explains why Baserman's condition declined over the days that followed, Goldblatt said. He needed oxygen to breathe, he said. Baserman's blood pressure dropped and his liver and kidneys were failing, leading to dialysis before his death. '(Those complications) led to multi-system failure, including his death,' the pathologist said. An infection Baserman developed while on a respirator created another complication, something Goldblatt said could have also caused additional swelling. Goldblatt and Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees both concluded that complications from blunt-force trauma caused Baserman's death. Lees, who testified knowing Baserman for years through their prior roles at a local fire and EMS department, said he ruled the man's death a homicide after receiving Goldblatt's report and talking with medical staff and law enforcement officials. First Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leiden showed jurors images of Baserman's head injuries in court, including injuries to both sides of his head and swollen ears that Goldblatt said indicated trauma. Rymsza cited the fact that Goldblatt cited 'medical complications' from the blunt-force trauma injury as Baserman's cause of death. But Goldblatt indicated that wasn't rare. He was also asked if he reviewed all of Baserman's medical records – and about why the corrections officer was prescribed blood thinners. Goldblatt said Baserman had a stent in his chest due to prior heart issues. Lieden asked if Baserman's blood thinners were discontinued at Conemaugh due to his injury- related complications after the attack. Goldblatt confirmed it. Lees said it had been a few years since he saw Baserman prior to his death – but as he looked at photos of the man's badly deformed ears, the coroner said it wasn't a longstanding issue. 'That's something I would have noticed before,' he told Leiden. Testimony is expected to continue Thursday in court.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Nine jurors picked for trial in SCI-Somerset sergeant's killing
SOMERSET, Pa. – Jury selection crossed the halfway mark Tuesday for the upcoming trial of a state prison inmate accused of killing an SCI-Somerset corrections sergeant in 2018. Seven women and two men have been picked to hear defendant Paul Jawon Kendrick's capital murder case, with more than 30 additional potential jurors scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to work toward completing the task. Cambria County Senior Judge Patrick Kiniry, who is presiding over the case in Somerset County court, is aiming to seat 12 jurors and four alternates. The Somerset County District Attorney's Office and Kendrick's court-appointed defense attorneys spent 10 hours in court Tuesday and have already questioned 45 Somerset County residents about their prior knowledge of the case and people who could testify – and, most of all, about the death penalty. Kendrick, 29, is already serving a life prison sentence for an unrelated 2014 murder – and would face a separate death penalty phase of trial if he is convicted of first-degree murder in Sgt. Mark Baserman's death. Investigators have said Baserman, 60, was on duty at SCI-Somerset while Kendrick was outside his cell in a living room-style institutional 'day room.' Baserman received blunt-force trauma head injuries that later caused his death, and the incident drew media headlines and an internal prison investigation afterward. Two potential jurors were excused Tuesday in part due to opinions they had formed blaming Kendrick. But through two days, most Somerset County residents who have appeared for jury selection have said they knew nothing or very little about the case. But many potential jurors entered the courtroom indicating that they have strong feelings for or against the death penalty – or about when it should be applied. Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar and fellow prosecutors Christina DeMarco-Breeden and Thomas Leiden asked potential jurors if they would be able to sit in court and call for the death penalty if they found that enough 'aggravating' circumstances supported the move. That was asking too much for some potential jurors, including one woman who told the attorneys that sentencing another human to death 'would gnaw at me the rest of my life.' 'I'm a conscientious objector,' the woman said. 'There are no right or wrong answers. We just want honest ones,' Leiden responded. The woman was excused from serving. Other Somerset County residents sat across from Kendrick's table and said they believe that anyone who intentionally kills another person, or who has killed before, probably deserves the death penalty – even if a sentence of life behind bars without parole is an option. 'I believe in an eye for an eye,' one man said, referencing the Bible. Court-appointed defense attorneys Tim Burns, Ken Sottile and Edward 'E.J.' Rymsza reminded potential jurors that their client is constitutionally 'presumed innocent until proven guilty' beyond a reasonable doubt. Kendrick has no obligation to present any evidence. And given that he was already convicted of committing murder as a teenager, Rymsza and Burns asked potential jurors if they could give him a fair trial regardless. Seven women and two men indicated that was possible – and said that they'll listen to all the evidence presented before rendering a verdict. 'I'm willing to listen,' one woman said after previously reciting violent allegations she'd heard about or read in newspapers about Kendrick. 'I'm hoping there's good in this young man.' Some said they could not give Kendrick a chance. 'The punishment should equal the crime,' one person said in court. One man was excused after confirming earlier comments that he would have a hard time giving Kendrick a fair trial because of his skin color. On two occasions over the past two days, potential jurors were excused after court officials learned they were no longer residents of Somerset County. Kiniry noted his duty to ensure that the jurors selected are open-minded and willing to listen to prosecutors and the defense. 'Each side gets a fair shot,' he said. The process has moved slowly at times – and Kiniry thanked potential jurors, attorneys and court staffers for their willingness to extend Tuesday's proceedings by nearly two hours to allow the process to progress. 'We're more than halfway there,' he said at the conclusion of Tuesday's proceeding, 'so that's good.' Contempt hearings Approximately 19 of the more than 100 people summoned for jury duty the past two days did not show up. Kiniry indicated those people will face contempt hearings and potential consequences. 'There's going to be a day of reckoning,' he said. Punishment can include fines of up to $500 for each offense or 10 days in jail, state law shows.
