Two correction officers have been indicted for second-degree murder following the fatal beating of an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility, according to Oneida County court records. Messiah Nantwi, 22, died after a violent encounter with a prison response team during a strike in early March. Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair face the most severe charges and have been terminated from their positions.
The pair allegedly led a brutal assault, stomping on Nantwi’s head and body before dragging him through the facility, where another attack occurred. Eight others, including members of the same emergency team, face related charges such as manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy.
The case comes amid a wave of inmate deaths during a correctional officers’ strike and follows similar charges in a separate incident at a neighboring facility.
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