Current:Home > FinanceAlgosensey|Alabama jailers to plead guilty for failing to help an inmate who froze to death -PureWealth Academy
Algosensey|Alabama jailers to plead guilty for failing to help an inmate who froze to death
Indexbit View
Date:2025-04-09 16:02:06
MONTGOMERY,Algosensey Ala. (AP) — Two former corrections officers at an Alabama jail agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges in the death of a man who froze to death after being held naked in a concrete cell for two weeks.
Federal court records filed Monday show Heather Lasha Craig has agreed to plead guilty to deprivation of rights under the color of law, while Bailey Clark Ganey has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy to deprive an inmate of their rights.
Both Craig and Ganey were correctional officers at the Walker County Jail when Tony Mitchell, 33, died from hypothermia and sepsis after being kept in a cold, concrete cell, without immediate access to a toilet, running water or bedding.
Former correctional officer Joshua Jones pleaded guilty in September to related charges, and Karen Kelly agreed to plead guilty in August for her “minimal role” in Mitchell’s death.
Mitchell was arrested Jan. 12 after a family member noticed he appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis and asked emergency responders to check on him. After law enforcement arrived, Mitchell brandished a handgun and fired at least one shot at deputies, according to a statement made by the Walker County sheriff’s office at the time.
For nearly two weeks, Mitchell was held in a booking cell described in the plea agreements as “essentially a cement box” that “was notoriously cold during winter months.” Temperatures occasionally fell below freezing in Walker County during Mitchell’s incarceration.
Previous court documents described Mitchell as “almost always naked, wet, cold, and covered in feces while lying on the cement floor without a mat or blanket.” Eventually, he became mostly unresponsive to officers.
Craig had observed that Mitchell’s condition “would ultimately result in serious harm or even death” without medical intervention, according to her plea deal. She did not raise her concerns because she did not want to be labeled a “snitch” or suffer retaliation, the court document said.
Ganey checked on Mitchell the night before he died and found him lying “largely unresponsive on the floor,” according to his plea deal. Mitchell “took no steps to aid him” because he didn’t want to hurt his own future employment opportunities.
Hours after Ganey last observed Mitchell, nurses at the facility said Mitchell needed urgent medical attention and he was taken to a hospital, according to a previous plea document. He died of hypothermia and sepsis shortly after, according to his death certificate. Mitchell’s core body temperature had plummeted to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius).
Erica Williamson Barnes, Ganey’s attorney, emphasized that her client was in his early 20s when Mitchell died, had “little formal education” and that “his training largely consisted of on the job instruction he received from more senior jail staff.”
An attorney for Craig declined to comment.
Both defendants were set to be arraigned in late October.
___
Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (33)
Related
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Reggie Miller praises Knicks' offseason, asks fans to 'pause' Bronny James hate
- Kate Hudson Admits She and Costar Matthew McConaughey Don't Wear Deodorant in TMI Confession
- John Williams composed Olympic gold before 1984 LA Olympics
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp journeys to Italy in eighth overseas trip
- Can Hollywood navigate AI, streaming wars and labor struggles? | The Excerpt
- U.S. stock trading unaffected by IT outage, but Crowdstrike shares tumble
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- I won't depend on Social Security alone in retirement. Here's how I plan to get by.
Ranking
- Euphoria's Hunter Schafer Says Ex Dominic Fike Cheated on Her Before Breakup
- Three courts agree that a woman deemed wrongfully convicted should be freed. She still isn’t.
- Nominations for National Guard leaders languish, triggering concerns as top officers retire
- South Dakota anti-abortion groups appeals ruling that dismissed its lawsuit over ballot initiative
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor charged with failing to update address on sex offender registry
- Sophia Bush Shares How Girlfriend Ashlyn Harris Reacted to Being Asked Out
- Nominations for National Guard leaders languish, triggering concerns as top officers retire
Recommendation
US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
Trump pays tribute to Pennsylvania firefighter killed in rally shooting
Caitlin Clark's rise parallels Tiger's early brilliance, from talent to skeptics
Member of eBay security team sentenced in harassment scheme involving bloody Halloween pig mask
Audit: California risked millions in homelessness funds due to poor anti-fraud protections
Tennessee will remove HIV-positive people convicted of sex work from violent sex offender list
Country Singer Rory Feek Marries Daughter's Teacher 8 Years After Death of Wife Joey
Highlights from the 2024 Republican National Convention