The family of a prisoner who died in a Missouri prison said that the man was “brutally killed” by members of the correctional facility in a lawsuit.
The family of Othel Moore Jr. have raised a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Correction and the Jefferson City Correctional Facility after the 38-year-old died in Jefferson City on December 8, 2023.
The family’s lawsuit writes that Moore Jr. was “brutally restrained and mummified” by the defendants, named as being members of the correction center’s emergency response team.
It adds that they “ignored his struggle to breathe, and left him to slowly and painfully suffocate.”
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According to the lawsuit, the prisoner, who was Black, was pepper-sprayed and shocked by a type of glove used in prisons by officers to help with inmate compliance.
Oriel Moore describes her life without her brother, Othel Moore Jr., to reporters on December 19, 2023, at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. The family of Moore Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Missouri… Oriel Moore describes her life without her brother, Othel Moore Jr., to reporters on December 19, 2023, at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. The family of Moore Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Correction and the Jefferson City Correctional Facility after his death.
Summer Ballentine/AP
He was also reportedly restrained, and given a spit hood—which prevents a person from being able to spit—as well as a helmet and leg wraps.
He was then allegedly confined to a restraint cart and isolated in a small, enclosed space known as a dry cell, the lawsuit adds.
It continues that Moore Jr. had said repeatedly that he was unable to breathe, and accuses the defendants of ignoring his pleas.
The lawsuit writes that Moore Jr. was “left to die alone in a cell, deprived of the basic dignity of medical care and human attention. Moore should not have died. He just needed someone to care about him.”
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It also alleges that Moore Jr.’s death was not “an isolated incident, but rather the product of a systematic pattern of coercion, brutality, intimidation, reckless disregard and deliberate indifference fostered the Missouri Department of Corrections’ highest-ranking officials.”
It was reported in the lawsuit that these events were recorded on video and “witnessed by many.” The lawsuit was filed on October 24.
In the video released by the family, guards are seen holding Moore Jr.’s arms as he kneeled on the floor and lay face down.
They then bound his legs, covered his face and strapped him into a cart. Moore Jr. did not appear to struggle with the guards.
Moore’s movements gradually slowed until he became motionless. It was 10 minutes later a nurse went to check on him and found him dead.
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“This graphic video evidence shows the unjustified and brutal murder of Othel Moore, a 38-year-old Black man, by correctional officers at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. This is one of the most egregious prison death cases in America,” attorney Andrew M. Stroth, managing director of Action Injury Law Group, a Chicago -based civil rights law firm, told Newsweek.
In a statement released by the Missouri Department of Corrections, the center said that Moore Jr. died while “in a restraint system designed to prevent injury to himself and others.”
The department has reportedly stopped the use of the restraint system Moore was held in since the incident of his death.
In the update shared in June 2024, the correction center reported that Cole County Prosecuting Attorney had pressed felony charges against five former corrections staff members in connection with Moore’s death.
In total, ten people were reportedly involved in the incident, and those individuals are allegedly no longer employed by the department or its contractors, the report added.
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Per the Missouri Department of Corrections report, Moore was serving a 30-year sentence for convictions of second-degree domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action, and violence to an inmate or employee of the Department of Corrections.
Newsweek has contacted the Missouri Department of Corrections via email for comment.
Update 10/31/24, 2:22 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from attorney Andrew M. Stroth.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A car chase ended Sunday in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, according to police.
Around 2:15 p.m., people downtown reported a large police presence at 19th and Main streets.
Police said a car chase ended at the intersection after the suspect struck other vehicles.
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Ryan Gamboa/KSHB 41
19th and Main
The suspect was taken into custody, per KCPD.
Due to the incident blocking the intersection, KC Streetcar service between Union Station and the River Market was temporarily suspended.
Braden Bates/KSHB 41
Streetcar alert
Streetcar service to downtown riders was restored before 4 p.m.
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A KC Streetcar Authority spokesperson confirmed the streetcar was not involved in the KCPD incident.
This is a developing news story and may be updated.
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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing
17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 7 drawing
Midday: 3-3-7
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 0-8-8
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 7 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-4
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 3-4-2-0
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 7 drawing
Early Bird: 03
Morning: 10
Matinee: 15
Prime Time: 14
Night Owl: 08
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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 7 drawing
05-06-21-23-28
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 7 drawing
21-34-46-53-56, Powerball: 23
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
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P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A University of Missouri School of Medicine professor and researcher has received a $2.8 million grant to study infant kidney injury.
Adebowale Adebiyi received the grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a previously unrecognized contributor to acute kidney injury: voltage-gated sodium channels.
These proteins help move sodium molecules through cells, but Adebiyi’s research identified another function.
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“We found that during infant kidney injury, when blood flow is restricted, these sodium channels are overactivated in blood vessels,” Adebiyi said. “This triggers a cascade of events that causes the kidney’s small blood vessels to constrict, depriving the kidney of oxygenated blood when it’s most needed, and can lead to organ dysfunction or failure.”
This project will focus specifically on restoring healthy blood flow to infant kidneys, studying how nitric oxide works with specific sodium channels in blood vessels.
