2 Mid-State Corrections Officers Charged With Murder of Inmate

Two Mid-State Corrections Officers have been charged with second-degree-murder and eight additional staff members face related charges in the beating death of an inmate on March 1, following the unsealing of an 11-count Grand Jury indictment in Oneida County Court on Wednesday.

Corrections Officers Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair were charged with murder in the beating death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi who according to witnesses, was brutally beaten inside the prison, and then transported to Wynn Hospital in Utica, where he was pronounced dead. Levi and Blair, and three other officers were also charged with manslaughter first and gang assault, and two additional officers were charged with manslaughter. Eight officers were also charged with attempting to cover up the attack.

Nantwi was serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Levi has resigned his position and Blair was suspended without pay. Those charged have pleaded not-guilty.

The following face charges:

Officer Jonah Levi - Second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, gang assault

Officer Caleb Blair- Second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, gang assault

Officer Thomas Eck- first-degree manslaughter and gang assault

Officer Craig Klemick- first-degree manslaughter and gang assault

Sgt. David Ferrone- second-degree manslaughter.

Sgt. Francis Chandler- second-degree manslaughter.

In total, prison officials identified 18 guards as being involved in Nantwi's beating death. Seven have resigned and 11 others have been suspended without pay.

The tragic incident comes at a difficult time for corrections officers throughout New York State, following a labor dispute and strike regarding working conditions, mandatory overtime, and laws such as the HALT Act which the union says has created unsafe conditions for corrections staff, as well as inmates.

In December, an inmate at the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility was fatally beaten by corrections staff according to an indictment. Ten officers there have been criminally charged in the brutal beating death of 43-year-old Robert Brooks. Body cameras being worn by staff that were not activated, still captured the beating death of Brooks, although audio was not recorded. Officers in the Brooks case are due in court on April 30th to respond to a plea deal offered by the prosecution. Several of the charged officers were in court this week asking for more time to consider the plea deal.

The NYS Attorney General's Office recused itself from both the Nantwi and Brooks cases and Onondaga District Attorney William Fitzpatrick was named Special Prosecutor.