Latest news with #MessiahNantwi
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
12th defendant pleads guilty in Nantwi case
UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — Another defendant in the murder case of Messiah Nantwi came forward in Oneida County Court on Friday for their first appearance. Nathan Palmer was in front of Judge Michael Nolan on Friday, June 13 to plead guilty to charges stemming from the alleged murder. His top charge is first-degree Hindering Prosecution, which is a Class D Felony. He also faces charges of first-degree Falsifying Business Records, a Class E Felony. Palmer was not originally indicted with the original ten defendants by a grand jury, making him the second person — after Joshua Bartlett — to come forward after the grand jury indictments. Because of that, the DA issued a Superior Court Information, or SCI, which works similarly to an indictment, but allows the defendant to come into court and answer the charges willingly. Palmer was released on his own recognizance and will now face two years in the Oneida County Jail. He will also be required to testify against the other co-defendants at trial and must resign from the State Department of Corrections. Palmer will be due back in court on Friday, August 8, for the next steps in his case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYS bill would require cameras in all areas of prisons as Dems push new laws after inmate deaths
ALBANY – Democrats in the state legislature released a package of bills late Monday night meant to increase oversight of state prisons after two high profile deaths over the last year. The bill includes proposals that would require cameras in all areas of prisons except showers and cells, require more thorough reporting and investigations of deaths in prisons, and stack an oversight panel with appointees from the legislature. The legislation was introduced with just enough time to bring it up for a vote before the state Senate ends its regularly-scheduled session for the year later this week. Advertisement The package of proposed laws comes after 10 people were charged in connection to the killing of Robert Brooks in Marcy Correction Facility last December. Six were charged with murder. In March, Messiah Nantwi was killed at neighboring Mid-State correctional facility, leading to murder and other charges for 10 guards in that case. 10 people have been charged, including some with murder, in the brutal beating of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility. New York State Department of Corrections via the New York State Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images 'It is without question that Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi should both be alive today,' Assemblywoman Michalle Solages (D-Nassau), Chair of the influential Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus, wrote in a recent statement. 'Their lives were cut short by a system that has repeatedly failed Black and brown communities, a system that strips individuals of their agency and denies them the right to safety, justice, and redemption. Advertisement 'New York State must take decisive action this session to end this cycle of harm, because accountability and justice cannot wait,' Solages continued. The legislation includes provisions from separate bills penned by a number of legislators. The package as a whole is carried by each chambers' corrections committee chair, state Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn) The package does not include provisions loosening requirements for parole and some early release programs despite a push by some liberal lawmakers to squeeze them with the other proposals. Gov. Kathy Hochul had floated, then retracted, those provisions during state budget talks earlier this year. Thousands of corrections officers participated in a crippling illegal strike earlier this year. Hans Pennink Advertisement 'While we applaud the legislature's commitment to oversight, oversight is not enough,' Thomas Grant, an organizer at the Center for Community Alternatives, wrote in a statement. 'If lawmakers are serious about honoring Robert Brooks and stopping further death and despair, they must do more than monitor the system—they must offer a fair pathway home for incarcerated people who have transformed while inside.' The state prison system has been in crisis since thousands of corrections officers walked off the job for an illegal wildcat strike earlier this year. Hochul fired 2,000 of them who refused to return to work. National Guard troops are still backfilling during the staff shortfall, costing the state millions of dollars. The package is expected to be voted on in the state Senate before the end of the week.
CNN
31-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Former New York prison guard pleads guilty in connection with inmate's beating death
CrimeFacebookTweetLink Follow A former upstate New York prison guard pleaded guilty Friday for his role in what prosecutors called a coverup of the beating death of inmate by fellow guards. Joshua Bartlett entered guilty pleas to hindering prosecution and falsifying records, both felonies, in connection with the March 1 death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, near Utica. Bartlett appeared for a hearing in Oneida County Court in Utica, where sentencing was set for August 8. Ten correction officers, not including Bartlett, were indicted in connection with the fatal beating. Two of the 10, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, are charged with second-degree murder. All 10 have pleaded not guilty. Bartlett is the first guard to plead guilty in connection with the case. Nantwi died from injuries he sustained in a series of beatings by guards that began in his room and continued even when he was lying handcuffed on the floor of the infirmary, the indictment says. Bartlett was accused of helping other guards cover up what happened, including filing a false use-of-force report. Bartlett was beaten after an emergency response team was called to Nantwi's room to help National Guard members who became concerned when he involved himself in another inmate's effort to obtain medication and was resistant during a headcount, according to prosecutors. The National Guard was deployed to Mid-State and other prisons because of an unauthorized, three-week strike by guards who were upset over working conditions. The situation was resolved by the time the response team arrived. Nantwi objected to being handcuffed for no apparent reason and grabbed Bartlett's vest, with several guards immediately raining blows on his head and body using their fists, batons and boots, the indictment said. The attack intensified when Nantwi bit the hands of two guards, prosecutors said. Nantwi became unresponsive and guards transported him toward the infirmary, but he was assaulted a second time in a stairwell, according to prosecutors. Nantwi died several months after Robert Brooks was fatally beaten at the Marcy Correctional Facility near the Mid-State prison. Six guards were charged with second-degree murder in Brooks' December 9 beating. One of those guards pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree manslaughter under a plea deal. Another three prison employees were charged with manslaughter in the Brooks case and an another officer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence. Bartlett was among 18 guards, including the 10 who were indicted, who either resigned or were suspended after Nantwi's death. Prosecutors have said several guards who weren't indicted agreed to cooperate with authorities.
CNN
31-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Former New York prison guard pleads guilty in connection with inmate's beating death
CrimeFacebookTweetLink Follow A former upstate New York prison guard pleaded guilty Friday for his role in what prosecutors called a coverup of the beating death of inmate by fellow guards. Joshua Bartlett entered guilty pleas to hindering prosecution and falsifying records, both felonies, in connection with the March 1 death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, near Utica. Bartlett appeared for a hearing in Oneida County Court in Utica, where sentencing was set for August 8. Ten correction officers, not including Bartlett, were indicted in connection with the fatal beating. Two of the 10, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, are charged with second-degree murder. All 10 have pleaded not guilty. Bartlett is the first guard to plead guilty in connection with the case. Nantwi died from injuries he sustained in a series of beatings by guards that began in his room and continued even when he was lying handcuffed on the floor of the infirmary, the indictment says. Bartlett was accused of helping other guards cover up what happened, including filing a false use-of-force report. Bartlett was beaten after an emergency response team was called to Nantwi's room to help National Guard members who became concerned when he involved himself in another inmate's effort to obtain medication and was resistant during a headcount, according to prosecutors. The National Guard was deployed to Mid-State and other prisons because of an unauthorized, three-week strike by guards who were upset over working conditions. The situation was resolved by the time the response team arrived. Nantwi objected to being handcuffed for no apparent reason and grabbed Bartlett's vest, with several guards immediately raining blows on his head and body using their fists, batons and boots, the indictment said. The attack intensified when Nantwi bit the hands of two guards, prosecutors said. Nantwi became unresponsive and guards transported him toward the infirmary, but he was assaulted a second time in a stairwell, according to prosecutors. Nantwi died several months after Robert Brooks was fatally beaten at the Marcy Correctional Facility near the Mid-State prison. Six guards were charged with second-degree murder in Brooks' December 9 beating. One of those guards pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree manslaughter under a plea deal. Another three prison employees were charged with manslaughter in the Brooks case and an another officer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence. Bartlett was among 18 guards, including the 10 who were indicted, who either resigned or were suspended after Nantwi's death. Prosecutors have said several guards who weren't indicted agreed to cooperate with authorities.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Former New York prison guard pleads guilty in connection with inmate's beating death
A former upstate New York prison guard pleaded guilty Friday for his role in what prosecutors called a coverup of the beating death of inmate by fellow guards. Joshua Bartlett entered guilty pleas to hindering prosecution and falsifying records, both felonies, in connection with the March 1 death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, near Utica. Bartlett appeared for a hearing in Oneida County Court in Utica, where sentencing was set for Aug. 8. Ten correction officers, not including Bartlett, were indicted in connection with the fatal beating. Two of the 10, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, are charged with second-degree murder. All 10 have pleaded not guilty. Bartlett is the first guard to plead guilty in connection with the case. Nantwi died from injuries he sustained in a series of beatings by guards that began in his room and continued even when he was lying handcuffed on the floor of the infirmary, the indictment says. Bartlett was accused of helping other guards cover up what happened, including filing a false use-of-force report. Bartlett was beaten after an emergency response team was called to Nantwi's room to help National Guard members who became concerned when he involved himself in another inmate's effort to obtain medication and was resistant during a headcount, according to prosecutors. The National Guard was deployed to Mid-State and other prisons because of an unauthorized, three-week strike by guards who were upset over working conditions. The situation was resolved by the time the response team arrived. Nantwi objected to being handcuffed for no apparent reason and grabbed Bartlett's vest, with several guards immediately raining blows on his head and body using their fists, batons and boots, the indictment said. The attack intensified when Nantwi bit the hands of two guards, prosecutors said. Nantwi became unresponsive and guards transported him toward the infirmary, but he was assaulted a second time in a stairwell, according to prosecutors. Nantwi died several months after Robert Brooks was fatally beaten at the Marcy Correctional Facility near the Mid-State prison. Six guards were charged with second-degree murder in Brooks' Dec. 9 beating. One of those guards pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree manslaughter under a plea deal. Another three prison employees were charged with manslaughter in the Brooks case and an another officer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence. Bartlett was among 18 guards, including the 10 who were indicted, who either resigned or were suspended after Nantwi's death. Prosecutors have said several guards who weren't indicted agreed to cooperate with authorities.
