Latest news with #MarcyCorrectionalFacility
The Independent
7 days ago
- The Independent
Former New York prison guard sentenced to 15 years for beating death of inmate
A former corrections officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for his role in the death of a Black inmate whose beating by a group of guards at an upstate New York prison was captured on bodycam videos. Christopher Walrath was one of six guards charged with murder in the death of Robert Brooks, who was pummeled at the Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9. Walrath pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in May under the first plea deal among the guards charged with murder. 'In that video, I see you and your fellow officers treating him as if his life holds no value at all, as if you're entitled to brutalize him for sport,' Robert Brooks Jr., the victim's son, told the court. The son said in his victim impact statement that, 'I am not OK and I never will be.' Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was transferred to Marcy from a nearby lockup on the night he was beaten. The videos show Brooks being struck in the chest with a shoe, lifted by his neck and then dropped. Under questioning in May from Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, Walrath admitted that he and other guards assaulted Brooks, that he put Brooks in a chokehold, and that he struck the inmate's body and groin. In addition to the six guards charged in February with murder, three more prison workers were indicted for manslaughter and another for evidence tampering. Prosecutors have said three other prison workers have reached agreements. A guard pleaded guilty in May to attempted tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. Trials were scheduled to begin in October for guards who have rejected plea deals. Fitzpatrick also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup, the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Ten guards were indicted in April, including two who are charged with murder.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Associated Press
Former New York prison guard sentenced to 15 years for beating death of inmate
UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — A former corrections officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for his role in the death of a Black inmate whose beating by a group of guards at an upstate New York prison was captured on bodycam videos. Christopher Walrath was one of six guards charged with murder in the death of Robert Brooks, who was pummeled at the Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9. Walrath pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in May under the first plea deal among the guards charged with murder. 'In that video, I see you and your fellow officers treating him as if his life holds no value at all, as if you're entitled to brutalize him for sport,' Robert Brooks Jr., the victim's son, told the court. The son said in his victim impact statement that, 'I am not OK and I never will be.' Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was transferred to Marcy from a nearby lockup on the night he was beaten. The videos show Brooks being struck in the chest with a shoe, lifted by his neck and then dropped. Under questioning in May from Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, Walrath admitted that he and other guards assaulted Brooks, that he put Brooks in a chokehold, and that he struck the inmate's body and groin. In addition to the six guards charged in February with murder, three more prison workers were indicted for manslaughter and another for evidence tampering. Prosecutors have said three other prison workers have reached agreements. A guard pleaded guilty in May to attempted tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. Trials were scheduled to begin in October for guards who have rejected plea deals. Fitzpatrick also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup, the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Ten guards were indicted in April, including two who are charged with murder. Both prisons are about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City.
CNN
15-05-2025
- CNN
New York prison guard says he cleaned up blood of fatally beaten inmate in plea
A New York corrections officer admitted in court Wednesday he cleaned up blood from the fatal beating of an inmate that was captured on bodycam videos in an attempt to conceal evidence. Nicholas Gentile pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence in the Dec. 9 beating of Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Publicly released video of the assault, which shows officers beating Brooks while his hands were cuffed behind his back, sparked condemnation and calls for reforms. Gentile, 36, was among 10 guards indicted in February in connection with Brooks' death. Six officers were charged with second-degree murder. Gentile was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with physical evidence. Under questioning from the judge and a prosecutor, Gentile acknowledged he knew about the assault by fellow guards, cleaned up Brooks' blood and failed to document it. Under a plea agreement, Gentile was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge, meaning he can avoid prison time if he resigns his job and obeys the law. He also waived his right to appeal. He declined to make a statement in court. One former officer charged with murder in the assault, Christopher Walrath, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter earlier this month. Three other prison workers have reached agreements but had yet to enter those pleas, according to prosecutors. Brooks began serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault in 2017 and was transferred Dec. 9 to Marcy, a prison about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City. Special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick has said Brooks was beaten three times that night, the last of which was the fatal attack caught on bodycam footage. Brooks, 43, was declared dead the next day. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup, the Mid-State Correctional Facility.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
New York prison guard says he cleaned up blood of fatally beaten inmate in plea
A New York corrections officer admitted in court Wednesday he cleaned up blood from the fatal beating of an inmate that was captured on bodycam videos in an attempt to conceal evidence. Nicholas Gentile pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence in the Dec. 9 beating of Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Publicly released video of the assault, which shows officers beating Brooks while his hands were cuffed behind his back, sparked condemnation and calls for reforms. Gentile, 36, was among 10 guards indicted in February in connection with Brooks' death. Six officers were charged with second-degree murder. Gentile was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with physical evidence. Under questioning from the judge and a prosecutor, Gentile acknowledged he knew about the assault by fellow guards, cleaned up Brooks' blood and failed to document it. Under a plea agreement, Gentile was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge, meaning he can avoid prison time if he resigns his job and obeys the law. He also waived his right to appeal. He declined to make a statement in court. One former officer charged with murder in the assault, Christopher Walrath, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter earlier this month. Three other prison workers have reached agreements but had yet to enter those pleas, according to prosecutors. Brooks began serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault in 2017 and was transferred Dec. 9 to Marcy, a prison about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City. Special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick has said Brooks was beaten three times that night, the last of which was the fatal attack caught on bodycam footage. Brooks, 43, was declared dead the next day. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup, the Mid-State Correctional Facility.
