Missouri Prison Guards Charged in Inmate’s Death

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Four Missouri prison guards have been charged with murder, and a fifth with manslaughter, in the death of Othel Moore Jr., a 38-year-old Black man who died in custody at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in December.

Why it matters: The charges highlight allegations of systemic abuse and racism within the Missouri Department of Corrections, particularly at the Jefferson City facility.

The details:

• On Dec. 8, 2023, a team from the Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team was conducting a contraband sweep when Moore was pepper sprayed twice, placed in a spit hood, leg wrap, and restraint chair, and left in a locked cell for 30 minutes.
• Multiple people heard Moore saying he couldn’t breathe before he was moved to a hospital wing and pronounced dead.
• The medical examiner ruled Moore’s death a homicide caused by positional asphyxiation.
• The events were captured on the prison’s video surveillance system.

What they’re saying:

• “There’s a system, pattern, and practice of racist and unconstitutional abuse in the Missouri Department of Corrections, especially within the Jefferson City Correction Center,” said Andrew Stroth, an attorney for Moore’s family.
• “Living without my brother is unbearable,” said Oriel Moore, Othel’s sister, fighting back tears during a news conference.

The charges: Justin Leggins, Jacob Case, Aaron Brown, and Gregory Varner are each charged with second-degree murder and accessory to second-degree assault. Bryanne Bradshaw is charged with accessory to involuntary manslaughter.

What’s next: Those charged with felony murder could face between 10 and 30 years in prison. Moore’s family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officers and the Department of Corrections.

Full story

Four Missouri prison guards have been charged with murder, and a fifth with manslaughter, in the death of Othel Moore Jr., a 38-year-old Black man who died in December while in custody at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. According to Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson, a group of guards from the Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team was sweeping one of the prison’s housing units for contraband on Dec. 8, 2023.

Moore was pepper sprayed twice, and a spit hood, leg wrap, and restraint chair were used to restrain him. He was left in a locked cell, in the hood, wrap, and chair, for 30 minutes. Thompson said that multiple people heard Moore saying he couldn’t breathe.

He was eventually moved to a hospital wing where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled Moore’s cause of death as positional asphyxiation, officially listing it as a homicide. These events were captured on the prison’s video surveillance system.

The complaint charges Justin Leggins, Jacob Case, Aaron Brown, and Gregory Varner each with one count of second-degree murder and one count of being an accessory to second-degree assault. Bryanne Bradshaw is charged with accessory to involuntary manslaughter. Those charged with felony murder could face between 10 and 30 years in prison.

Guards charged in inmate’s death

Thompson confirmed that all five defendants are in custody. Multiple phone calls to numbers associated with the defendants and their potential relatives went unanswered, and Case is the only one who has a lawyer so far.

An attorney for Moore’s family, Andrew Stroth, said that Moore had blood coming out of his ears and nose. “There’s a system, pattern, and practice of racist and unconstitutional abuse in the Missouri Department of Corrections, especially within the Jefferson City Correction Center,” Stroth said. In affidavits filed by Cole County Sheriff’s detectives, Moore was described as being compliant yet pepper-sprayed by the guards.

Leggins claimed he used pepper spray because Moore wasn’t following directives to stay quiet and allegedly felt threatened when Moore turned towards him, though video evidence showed Moore only turned his head to speak. Case pepper-sprayed Moore a second time, claiming noncompliance. Officers then placed a spit mask on Moore, though other staff indicated Moore was only spitting out pepper spray.

Several officers heard Moore cry out for help and mention his asthma. Despite these cries, Moore was not checked on for another 20 minutes, and he was not given any medical assistance until he became unresponsive. Moore’s family has since filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officers and the Department of Corrections.

The lawsuit describes Moore’s death as part of “a systematic practice of fear-mongering, infliction of pain, and intimidation tactics” by the Corrections Emergency Response Team. The Missouri Department of Corrections has released a statement saying that the restraint systems used were to prevent injury to Moore and others and announced that it has discontinued using that system.