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.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing
16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 10 drawing
Midday: 8-7-5
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 6-8-6
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 10 drawing
Midday: 6-4-9-3
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 1-2-6-7
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing
Early Bird: 15
Morning: 04
Matinee: 10
Prime Time: 14
Night Owl: 01
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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 10 drawing
04-07-18-25-29
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
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.
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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
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
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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.
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether the so-called “Missouri First” map is unconstitutional.
The map, passed by Republican lawmakers in September and signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, stretches the boundaries of the 5th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold, eastward into heavily Republican regions of the state. It also moves part of the current 5th District into the 4th and 6th districts, currently represented by Republican congressmen Mark Alford and Sam Graves. Incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver is running for reelection in the 5th District.
Opponents of the Missouri First map’s main argument focused on the map being passed by lawmakers without any new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The congressional boundaries tossed out by the Missouri First map were based on the 2020 U.S. Census.
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Attorney Chuck Hatfield represents those challenging the new map passed by Republican lawmakers last fall.
“The whole idea is tethered to the census data. You must do it at the census, and you only do it at the census,” Hatfield told the High Court. “The court’s precedents also support this.”
Solicitor General Louis Capozzi, representing the Missouri Sec. of State’s office, disagreed, saying the Missouri Constitution is silent on mid-decade redistricting.
“Mid-decade redistricting had happened in Missouri in the 1870s, and mid-decade redistricting was common around the country in the first half of the 20th century,” he argued. “Article III, Section 45 of the Missouri Constitution sets out only three requirements for the redistricting of seats in Missouri, ‘The district shall be composed of contiguous territory, as compact, and as nearly equal in population as may be.’ And as long as the General Assembly complies with those three rules, this court said that Missouri courts, ‘shall respect the political determinations of the General Assembly.’”
Meanwhile, roughly a hundred demonstrators held signs across the street from the Missouri Supreme Court building, condemning the Missouri First map and calling for the Missouri Supreme Court to strike it down.
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“Voters should choose our politicians,” said Missouri League of Women Voters Director Kay Park. “The League (of Women Voters) believes redistricting should keep communities of similar culture and race together to strengthen their vote and promote partisan fairness.”
The Missouri Supreme Court will rule on the congressional district map later.
Missouri senior forward Mark Mitchell was recognized Monday with a second-team selection to the All-Southeastern Conference teams.
Mitchell has led the Tigers all season long and tops the team in scoring (17.9 points per game), rebounding (5.2) and assists (3.6). He would be the just the second player in program to lead all the categories in one season, joining Albert White from the 1998-99 season.
Mitchell is also on pace to become the first player in program history to average at least 17 points, five rebounds and three assists since Anthony Peeler in 1992, the year he took home the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year award.
Mitchell was the only Missouri player to be recognized in SEC postseason awards.
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Five players were named to each of the three All-SEC teams.
Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama) and Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt) made the first team.
Acuff was named the conference’s player of the year and freshman of the year.
Joining Mitchell on the second team were Nate Ament (Tennessee), Rueben Chinyelu (Florida), Otega Oweh (Kentucky) and Dailyn Swain (Texas), while Rashaun Agee (Texas A&M), Alex Condon (Florida), Keyshawn Hall (Auburn), Aden Holloway (Alabama) and Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State) were named to the third team.
The All-SEC defensive team consisted of Chinyelu, Somto Cyril (Georgia), Felix Okpara (Tennessee), Billy Richmond III (Arkansas) and Tanner. Chinyelu was selected as the defensive player of the year.
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Appearing on the all-freshman team were Acuff, Amari Allen (Alabama), Ament, Malachi Moreno (Kentucky) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas).
Swain was selected as the newcomer of the year, while Urban Klavzar of Florida was named the sixth man of the year.
