Lying Illinois prison officers go unpunished in 2018 inmate death, despite convictions of three guards

Three former Illinois jail guards face life behind bars after the 2018 deadly beating of a 65-year-old inmate in a case marked by the unpunished lies of different correctional officers who proceed to get pay raises, data obtained by The Related Press and courtroom paperwork present.

Juries convicted Division of Corrections Officer Alex Banta in April and Lt. Todd Sheffler in August of federal civil rights violations owing largely to the cooperation of the third, Sgt. Willie Hedden. Hedden hopes for a decreased sentence — regardless that he admitted mendacity about his involvement till getting into a responsible plea 18 months in the past.

However Hedden’s account of what occurred to Western Illinois Correctional Heart inmate Larry Earvin on Could 17, 2018, will not be distinctive. Related testimony was provided by six different correctional officers who nonetheless work on the lockup in Mount Sterling, 249 miles southwest of Chicago.

Like Hedden, all admitted below oath that originally, they lied to authorities investigating Earvin’s dying, together with to the Illinois State Police and the FBI. They lined up the brutal beatings that occurred and led to Earvin’s dying six weeks later from blunt-force trauma to the chest and stomach, in line with post-mortem reviews.

Paperwork obtained by The AP below the Illinois Freedom of Data Act point out that not one of the guards has been punished for the coverup.

Regardless of admitting their indiscretions, Lts. Matthew Lindsey and Blake Haubrich, Sgts. Derek Hasten, Brett Hendricks and Shawn Volk and Officer Richard Waterstraat have flourished — three have been promoted, one has been on paid depart, and on common, they’ve seen wage hikes of practically 30% and will increase in pension advantages.

Even when fired from their jobs now, they’d maintain the additional cash from wage hikes — tied to promotions or contractual settlement — and the accompanying boosts in retirement advantages.

Cellphone numbers related to the officers usually are not linked, or messages weren’t returned. None has responded to a request by means of the Corrections Division to talk to them.

Corrections spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello stated an inside evaluate of the Earvin incident has been postponed till the federal probe is full. She promised that Corrections will take “all acceptable steps” to punish misconduct. Nevertheless it has no authority “to take previous wages from an worker or impair a pension,” she stated.

Banta and Sheffler are in federal custody, awaiting sentencing — Banta on Tuesday and Sheffler on Jan. 6. Hedden’s sentencing has not been scheduled.

Hedden testified in April that he ascribed to “the tradition at Western” which referred to as for roughing up troublemakers whereas escorting them to the segregation unit used to self-discipline inmates who break guidelines or threaten jail security.

Western’s warden was changed in 2020 in efforts that Gov. J.B. Pritzker stated final spring have been part of altering the tradition, which even have included initiatives to handle the usage of drive and set up a extra affirmative method to inmates.

Accountability, nevertheless, issues, too, stated Jennifer Vollen-Katz, government director of the John Howard Affiliation, a jail watchdog.

“There’s a disturbing lack of transparency round employees self-discipline in the case of Corrections,”Vollen-Katz stated. “It’s actually arduous to think about tradition change … when you’ve employees that behave like this and there appear to be little or no repercussions.”

The Justice Division additionally has a stake. Mendacity to the FBI is a felony. Timothy Bass, the U.S. lawyer’s lead prosecutor on the case, stated he couldn’t touch upon whether or not there can be additional prosecutions.

The officers whose tales modified solely when the investigation intensified have been clear about their causes when testifying below oath on the trials.

“There’s an unwritten rule, the saying that goes round that ‘Snitches get stitches…,’” Volk testified, explaining his untruthful interview with the Illinois State Police the week following the Earvin incident. “You’re a part of a brotherhood with everyone on the market and also you don’t wish to be the man that snitches.”

Lindsey was answerable for segregation that day and testified he noticed Hedden, Sheffler and Banta deliver Earvin into the segregation unit’s vestibule, the place there aren’t any safety cameras. He was amongst a number of witnesses who reported seeing Earvin punched, kicked and stomped earlier than motioning to Sheffler by means of an inside window to cease.

Lindsey advised nobody what he had seen. When the FBI referred to as in late summer time 2018, he lied for “worry of retaliation,” in line with his current testimony.

Since Could 2018, Lindsey has been promoted and his wage has elevated 42% to $105,756, in line with data disclosed by Corrections.

Hasten, too, stated he “was simply fearful of the retaliation,” including that his spouse additionally works on the jail. His wage has grown 17% to almost $79,000 even after voluntarily altering to a lower-paying job at Western.

Hendricks and Volk have been additionally within the segregation vestibule with Sheffler, Hedden and Banta. Hendricks testified that he was shocked by the violence towards Earvin, who was handcuffed behind the again and face down on the bottom. However when requested why he lied to investigators, he admitted: “I didn’t wish to inform on my coworker.”

Hendricks has since acquired a promotion and pay will increase totaling practically 30%.

When state cops talked to Haubrich, they have been centered on tough remedy of Earvin that started in his housing unit. They have been unaware that it had continued within the segregation entrance. However like Hendricks, Haubrich volunteered nothing concerning the brutality he had seen as a result of he “was overlaying the backs of my fellow officers and brothers.”

Haubrich has been on paid depart from the jail since Could 2018, watching his wage improve practically 30% to $96,396. That’s additionally the case for Lt. Benjamin Burnett, escorted off the jail grounds days after the assault with Haubrich, together with Hedden and Banta.

Waterstraat, who’s been promoted with a 44% pay improve, didn’t come clear with authorities till confronted with a grand jury.