West Virginia

West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found in 2022 that Quantez Burks’ death was a homicide

Published

2 hours ago

September 14, 2024

West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found in 2022 that Quantez Burks’ death was a homicide

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled in April 2022 that the death of a 37–year-old man who died at Southern Regional Jail in March 2022 was a homicide.

The information contradicts records West Virginia Department of Homeland Security provided to the public on November 15, 2022, in which Burks’ death is listed as a natural death.

59News became aware of the discrepancy in early September, after obtaining a copy of Burks’ autopsy report.

Eight former Southern Regional Jail employees — officers Andrew Fleshman, Nicholas Wimmer, Ashley Toney, Jacob Boothe, Mark Holdren, Cory Snyder and Johnathan Walters, and Lt. Chad Lester — have been charged in connection with Burks’ death.

Federal prosecutors allege a group of officers handcuffed Burks and led him to unmonitored rooms around the facility to beat him while he was handcuffed and then conspired with one another to falsify officials records and lie to federal investigators to cover up the death.

Quantez Burks’ mother and fiancee react to plea deals offered to two officers charged in his death

Four of the officers have entered guilty pleas to various charges, including conspiracy and watching officers beat Burks without intervening to help him.

On Burks’ autopsy report, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner W. Ashton Ennis, M.D. wrote that the cause of Burks’ death was due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, hardening arteries, obesity and blunt impact injury.

“The death followed blunt impact injuries to the head, torso, and extremities, which occurred during a confrontation with correctional facility guards in the setting of abundant natural disease,” Ennis stated, ruling Burks’ death a homicide.

Family of man who died at Southern Regional Jail release photos showing injuries

59News filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request with West Virginia Department of Homeland Security on Nov. 2, 2022, asking for records of inmates who had died at Southern Regional Jail between 2018 and November 2022, including the cause and manner of death.

On November 15, 2022, 59News received an emailed response, with the official seals of West Virginia Division of Corrections Interim Commissioner Brad Douglas and West Virginia Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy, along with a list which purported to show data from the requested records.

The records provided to 59News showed one death at Southern Regional on March 1, 2022, the day Burks died.

Criminal investigation underway into the death of SRJ inmate

WVDHRS records showed the cause of death was “heart disease” and listed the manner of death as “natural.”

Governor Jim Justice fired Douglas in 2023, along with WVDHS general counsel Phil Sword, after Southern District of West Virginia Magistrate Judge Omar Aboulhosn wrote in court documents in October 2023 that their handling of records in a civil suit regarding inhumane conditions at Southern Regional Jail was a “dereliction of duty.”

The WVDHS paralegal who provided the records to 59News under the FOIA request declined to be interviewed on Friday, September 13, 2024, and said that she is not a spokesperson for WVDHS.

She said that she receives records from agencies and prepares responses to FOIA requests but does not prepare the records kept by the agencies.

West Virginia Division of Corrections is a sub-agency of WVDHS.

West Virginia Department of Homeland Security officials had not immediately responded to a request for comment by Friday afternoon.

Quantez Burks’ family speaks out on charges against Southern Regional Jail officers

An attorney for the Burks family, Stephen P. New of Beckley, said on Friday, “My only comment is that DHS should not have commented a ‘natural’ death when the autopsy report shows ‘homicide.’”

Another section of Burks’ autopsy, titled “Circumstances of Death,” states that Beckley Police Department officers had called the jail on Feb. 28, 2022, the day Burks was arrested, to state they were “bringing a {sic} uncooperative male in.”

The section states that Burks was cooperative with Southern Regional staff when being booked and details that Burks had high blood pressure and was seen at the on-site jail medical center which was contracted by Prime Care Medical West Virginia in 2022.

“During the time {Burks} was being treated by the medical staff, he stated that the Beckley Police Officers ‘whooped him pretty good’ the day before,” officials stated in the autopsy report.

In the section, officials wrote that Burks had hallucinations the next morning and became uncooperative with corrections officer, who struggled with him.

Steven Robinson’s mother questions policies at Southern Regional Jail after son reportedly overdoses in jail

Official wrote in the section that Burks then declined medical care when Southern Regional officers took him to the medical center and that he went “limp” as officers walked him to a “lock down” room that guards kept him from falling and that he collapsed after walking about 50 feet.

The section notes that Burks had swelling to his head, contusions and multiple other injuries but states, “SRJ staff had no record if the contusions was {sic} there before today’s incident.”

The account in Burks’ autopsy contradicts the official public statement of West Virginia Department of Homeland Security officials released on March 1, 2022, hours after Burks had died.

WVDHS officials told the public that Burks “was combative both during the admission process and later that evening” on Feb. 28, 2022.

“He was again combative around 10 a.m. the following morning, assaulting multiple staff while attempting to force his way out of the section.”

Beckley Police Department staff released video of Burks’ arrest to 59News in May 2023.

Officers appeared to struggle briefly with Burks, who did not want to be placed in handcuffs or in the police car.

Later, Burks quietly walked, handcuffed, from a police car into Southern Regional Jail and did not appear to be injured.

An attorney for the Burks’ family said it was highly unlikely that interaction with BPD officers had caused serious injuries.

Attorney New has said medical records show Burks should have been transferred to a local hospital for treatment of extremely high blood pressure, first when he was admitted and, later, after Prime Care staff checked his blood pressure several times and noted it was dangerously high.

Burks’ family members have said Burks was calling for medical help when he used an intercom button and tried to exit a section of the jail, prompting the alleged beatings by jail staff.

Civil rights attorney calls on Governor Justice to release Southern Regional Jail video

New has alleged in a civil lawsuit that Prime Care nurses conspired with corrections officers to help cover up Burks’ death and that they did not provide medical care, did not alert officers of Burks’ condition, did not file of a required form to report the use of force by officers on a patient and that one nurse suggested Burks be injected with insulin as a way of explaining his death.

The nurse has denied the allegation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.

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West Virginia

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction: Who Wins, and Why

Published

10 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Prediction: Who Wins, and Why

The Backyard Brawl returns to the gridiron this weekend, and it should be a close one between teams looking to play into the upper echelons of their respective conferences, as Pittsburgh welcomes West Virginia in college football’s Week 3 action on Saturday.

Sitting at 1-1 after losing to Penn State in the opener before routing Albany last week, the Mountaineers won 9 games a year ago to pull head coach Neal Brown off the proverbial hot seat and winning games like this is important when looking at the schedule in the weeks ahead.

Pittsburgh has the look of an improved team coming off last season’s 3-9 disaster, marching out to a 2-0 start, and comes into this weekend with a 62-41-3 lead over West Virginia in this series that dates back to 1895.

West Virginia has won four of the last five meetings with Pittsburgh, but the rivalry was split the last two seasons, with the Mountaineers winning last season and the Panthers the year before.

What can we expect from the matchup? Here’s what you should watch for as West Virginia and Pittsburgh renew their rivalry in this Week 3 college football game, with our updated prediction.

1. Going deep. West Virginia has the capacity to run the ball successfully, but Pittsburgh could be vulnerable on the back end. The secondary has allowed 5 passes of over 30 yards and is surrendering more than 7 yards per attempt. Garrett Greene leads a cadre of receivers who can get separation on these defenders and set the tone early.

2. On the ground. Pittsburgh looks strong when defending against the rush and has allowed opponents to average just 2.4 yards per rushing attempt so far. But the Mountaineers have a strong offensive line that can create opportunities for talented backs like CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White, not to mention Greene himself, an agile runner with the football.

3. Pitt’s new QB. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein has been a revelation for the Panthers through two games, helping lead an offensive renaissance that resulted in this attack more than doubling its scoring output from a year ago, averaging more than 41 points per game. He can find throwing lanes with a battery of skilled targets against a West Virginia secondary allowing almost 10 yards per attempt in the air.

Lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

West Virginia: -2.5 (-110)
Pittsburgh: +2.5 (-110)

WVU to win: -128
Pitt to win: +106

Over 61.5 points: -115
Under 61.5 points: -105

This close line correctly suggests the game to be very evenly matched. Pittsburgh has the run-stop and the passing attack to pull it out, but West Virginia has the ground game to eat clock and move the chains.

Home field advantage plays a role — Pitt won at home two years ago — but the difference maker could be Pitt tailback Desmond Reid.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pounder leads college football with 244 all-purpose yards per game this season, is coming off a 254-yard effort against Cincinnati, and could be a matchup problem for the Mountaineers.

His consistent gains against a vulnerable West Virginia run-stop combined with Holstein and his receivers exploiting some center field gaps could prove to be the difference.

College Football HQ picks …

More … West Virginia vs. Pitt score prediction by expert football model

When: Sat., Sept. 14
Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN2 network

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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West Virginia

Trump or Harris? At this West Virginia bar almost nobody is voting. Can either candidate win them over?

Published

17 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Press Room

Trump or Harris? At this West Virginia bar almost nobody is voting. Can either candidate win them over?

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At Crockett’s Lodge in Star City, West Virginia, just outside Morgantown, I experienced something I have never encountered before, 12 of the 15 people I spoke to aren’t voting. They have very interesting opinions about the state of modern politics, but they don’t think their vote matters.

As soon as I walked in, I knew I had dressed inappropriately. I had on a smart button down and a pair of Lucky slacks I’d purchased from the local TJ Maxx, when I should have worn my old beat up 2005 Troy Vincent Eagles jersey.

Side eyes aside, the first guy I talked to was named Rock, “they’re all criminals on both sides,” he told me, “So what’s the difference?”

FOUR WAYS TRUMP CAN GET TO A 96% CHANCE OF WINNING

I glanced up at the attractive bartender in her early 30s and said, “Do you vote?”

“No,” she said,” what’s the point?”

A few minutes later I saw a guy walk in with an American flag T-shirt reading, “I’m a patriot.”

I said, “Hey, I saw your shirt.” I explained that I go around hassling people about their politics for Fox, and he was game. He loves Harris, he’s all in. He told me, “I pray every night that Trump doesn’t win, that disrespectful son of a b**ch.”

HARRIS, TRUMP ENTER POST-DEBATE ‘HOMESTRETCH’ WITH DUELING RALLIES IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

Micaheal told me he had spent 30 years in the gas industry and he believes that Harris has turned a new leaf on fracking.

As I tried to dig down on that, his wife arrived back from the restroom and just shut it down. “I’m not an idiot,” I said. “Thank you and have a great night.”

The next people I spoke to were Mike and Zach, both in their mid-twenties. Mike votes, Zach doesn’t. I said, “Zach, why don’t you vote?”

“It makes no difference, I live in West Virginia, Trump will win, so what does it matter?”

I said “who would you vote for?”

And this freakin’ guy, like he’s on cable news, says, “Well, who would you vote for given how life was between 2016 and 2020 compared to now?”

TRUMP-VANCE TICKET HAS DONE COMBINED 48 INTERVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH COMPARED TO ONLY EIGHT FOR HARRIS-WALZ

I said, “You’re making a stronger argument for Trump than your MAGA buddy here.”

I asked them if I could buy them a shot of Irish whiskey as I was bending their ear. They asked for Lemon Drops, whatever that is, and I told them, in frankness, that this could be part of the problem.

It just didn’t stop, no matter which way they leaned. I kept hearing, “what’s the point of voting?”

One of these guys, Joe, who had a bucket of Natty Ice cans, said he would vote for Harris, if he voted, because he is poor and she would give him money.

I asked him if he thought that she might also make things more expensive.

He said he didn’t know, but that he thought she would give him more.

Believe me, when I tell you that I am not disparaging anything about the wonderful Crockett’s Lodge or the voters, or mostly not voters, I met there. Ten out of ten recommend it. But I do wonder if either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump can move these people.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

They feel forgotten and left behind. Rock told me, “I just want to smoke weed on my porch in peace.”

The last two people I talked to were Chris and Nicole, who are expecting their first child in a few months. Both are Trump supporters, both watched the debate and thought Harris did fine, but said, “It’s still just so hard to live and pay for it.”

I envied them in a way. They are about to have a newborn who loves them and hangs on them. I have a 14-year-old son who loves me but regularly roasts me and his mom in ways that would make Don Rickles blush, but it’s good.

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I never like hearing that people aren’t voting, and yeah, maybe in Morgantown, West Virginia it won’t affect the final outcome, but 50 miles in Pennsylvania it will, are these people really so different?

If there is a candidate who can motivate the cats I met in Morgantown. It’ll be a landslide on November 5. But so far, they are not impressed.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID MARCUS

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West Virginia

3 people killed, 2 injured in crash on I-70 in West Virginia, roadway shut down ‘indefinitely’

Published

24 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Press Room

3 people killed, 2 injured in crash on I-70 in West Virginia, roadway shut down ‘indefinitely’

Three people were killed and two others were injured in a crash on Interstate 70 in West Virginia on Thursday night.

NBC affiliate WTOV reports a car crossed over the median into a tractor-trailer near mile marker 8.5 in the Triadelphia area.

The crash, which happened around 9:30 p.m., was deemed a mass casualty incident. Shortly after 11 p.m., three deaths were confirmed.

Two other people were taken to Wheeling Hospital after the crash.

As of 11:25 p.m. Thursday, the road remains closed.

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