10 New York Prison Guards Indicted With 2 Facing Murder Charges Over Inmate Messiah Nantwi's Beating Death

Ten New York corrections officers have been indicted in connection with the March 1 beating death of 22-year-old inmate Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility. Among them, officers Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair face second-degree murder charges, along with five additional counts, including first-degree manslaughter, gang assault, conspiracy, and intent to defraud. All ten officers pleaded not guilty during Wednesday's arraignment. According to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, Nantwi "was beaten with fists, with batons and with boots" and suffered "massive head injuries," including "at least 69 other serious blows about his body."

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the indictments on Tuesday, calling Nantwi's death "deeply, deeply disturbing." She added, "The loss of any life in our correctional facilities is one too many," and confirmed the immediate termination of all indicted officers. Hochul also stated that the state has begun implementing new policies following Nantwi's death, including expanded use of body-worn cameras and a comprehensive system-wide culture review.

Nantwi had been serving a five-year sentence for criminal possession of a weapon. Following his death, 15 corrections officers were identified as persons of interest—three were suspended without pay, and 12 were placed on paid administrative leave pending further review. The incident is the second fatal beating at a Oneida County prison since December 2024, following the death of Robert Brooks at the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility. In that case, ten former guards were charged in February.

Initially, New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) began reviewing Nantwi's death but later recused itself due to conflicts of interest. "When the corrections officers involved in the events preceding Mr. Nantwi's death were identified, OSI confirmed that four… are defendants in other matters where they are or were represented by attorneys in OAG's State Counsel Division," James explained.

The case unfolds against the backdrop of recent unrest in New York's prison system, including a 22-day strike by correctional officers over working conditions, which led to the firing of more than 2,000 guards statewide.

Link: ABCNews