They have pleaded not guilty. Rock Island: (309) 793-5884 The trial had been set for June 28, 2021, but the rising numbers of COVID-19 in several Illinois counties led to postponement of the trial. A 42-year-old correctional officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal felony charges in the 2018 beating death of an inmate at Western Illinois Correctional Center. Kristin Mullens. Carroll Hedden December 20, 2022 (87 years old) View obituary. Mt. The trial of two former Illinois correctional officers accused of beating a 65-year-old inmate to death begins Monday in Springfield. They were scheduled to go on trial this month, but because of the pandemic, all federal court jury trials are suspended through March 23. 51, of Mendon, Sgt. View Full Report . Detention hearings for the defendants have been scheduled for this afternoon. We will print it for you on matte photo paper to keep forever. Hedden was charged in December 2019 in the death of Earvin, along with correctional Lt. Todd Sheffler of Mendon and officer Alex Banta of Quincy, on charges of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, obstruction of an investigation, falsification of documents and misleading conduct. Three others involved Haubrich. Hedden was a sergeant at the prison and earned $73,668 annually and had been employed by the state for more than 18 years, according to state records. Official websites use .gov Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree has been a reporter for the Journal-Courier since May 2014. Further, Hedden admitted that he misled agents of the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of the assault, that he participated in and witnessed, and that he persuaded a friend, a fellow prison employee, to delete a text message Hedden sent following the assault in which Hedden admitted his involvement in the assault on Earvin. Main Office: He persuaded a friend, who was a fellow prison employee, to delete a text he sent after the assault in which Hedden admitted to being involved in the assault. Address: 415 Camden Rd , Mt Sterling, IL 62353 -1058; County: Brown; Latitude: 39.991600; Time zone: Central Time Zone; Phone: 2177255770; Dwelling unit: Multiple Family Dwelling Unit; Lt. Todd Sheffler, 51; Sgt. Save Page Now. Willie's current address is 415 Camden Rd, Mt Sterling, IL. Most recent obituaries in Mount Sterling, Illinois. Sterling, Illinois passed away at 12:37 a.m. Sunday, July 5, 2020 at her residence. The charges that Sergeant Hedden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Our laws protect the civil rights of all, stated U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. Hedden also admitted that he lied about the assault when he filed false reports. Todd Sheffler, Willie Hedden and Alex Banta are now scheduled to appear in front of the court at 10 a.m. July 22 for a pretrial conference and jury trial at 10 a.m. Aug. 4 after U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins approved a motion to continue filed by the defendants. He died in June 2018. A Mount Sterling man, one of three employees of the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling charged in the May 2018 assault of an inmate that led to his death, has changed his Not Guilty plea. The statutory penalty for both conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death is any imprisonment term of up to life behind bars. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. Hedden admitted that he filed falsified incident reports with the prison that omitted reference to the assault and noted that Earvin was delivered to staff in the segregation housing unit without further incident, other than resisting the escort and refusing to walk. We'd love to hear eyewitness At least four Western Illinois employees were placed on administrative leave with pay on May 22, according to documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act. Save this search to get email alerts when listings hit the market. Sterling, Ill., died December 20, 2022, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon, Ill. WBEZ regrets the error. View willie hedden's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Those responsible for the deadly assault of Mr. Earvin must be held accountable. Milhiser commended the Illinois Department of Corrections for its cooperation and the FBI and Illinois State Police for their thorough investigation of this tragic incident. An autopsy revealed he died of gunshot wounds. Urbana: (217) 373-5875. Mar 10, 2021. Have a question about Government Services? Delight High School (1990 - 1994) . They will appear at a status hearing online March 9, according to Sharon Paul, public information officer for the U.S Attorneys Office Central Illinois District. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. One of three prison guards at the Western Illinois Correctional Center charged in connection with the 2018 beating death of an inmate has pleaded guilty. Chief Brian J. Gallaher. Willie is also known as Mr Willie B Hedden, Mr William B Hedden, Mr William Hedden, Mr William Benjamin Hedden. Assistant U.S. Former correctional officers trial continued, Newsletters: Get local news delivered directly to you. . WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Three Illinois correctional officers made their initial appearance in federal court this morning following their arrest on charges related to the May 2018 assault of an inmate who later died, at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Peoria:(309) 671-7050 Attorney Stanley Wasser represent Banta. Long was held Tuesday afternoon to discuss procedures for jury selection for the jury trial of Alex Banta of Quincy and Todd Sheffler of Mendon. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Springfield, IL 62701, Springfield (HQ):(217) 492-4450 An indictment filed Dec. 4, 2019, says Sheffler, Banta and Willie Hedden, employees at the WICC, conspired and agreed on May 17, 2018, to forcibly remove Larry Earvin, 65, of Chicago from his housing unit to segregation a unit where prisoners are sent for discipline. He has experience in magazines and newspaper writing, photography and design for publications in Florida and Illinois. United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris announced today the Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) who will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris Announces Election Day Program, Third Illinois Prison Guard Convicted of Civil Rights Deprivation Resulting in Bodily Injury and Death and Obstruction Charges, Justice Department Secures $293,000 Jury Award Against City of Springfield, Illinois, for Discriminating Against People with Disabilities, Illinois Prison Guard Pleads Guilty To Inmate Assault That Resulted In Death. According to the federal indictment, Hedden, Todd Sheffler and Alex Banta, assaulted Earvin without legal justification while he was restrained and while he posed no physical threat to the defendants or other correctional officers.. Willie Hedden, 42, of Mount Sterling, entered the plea to two counts of civil rights violations and one count of providing misleading information in the subsequent investigation of the May 17, 2018 injuries sustained by 65-year-old Larry Earvin. Do you want to receive the Muddy River News newsletter in your inbox every morning? On both civil rights charges, Hedden faces up to life imprisonment and fines of $250,000 each. The indictment alleges that on May 17, 2018, Sheffler, Hedden and Banta assaulted an inmate, who was restrained and handcuffed behind his back at the time, during an escort to another prison unit, in violation of his Constitutional protection to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. A state prison guard in Illinois pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of federal civil rights violations and one count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct in the 2018 beating death of an inmate who had been handcuffed, prosecutors said. Find directions to Mount Sterling, browse local businesses, landmarks, get current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more. Willie Hedden admitted he violated the civil rights of Larry Earvin, 65, while Earvin was handcuffed at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Phillip Christensen was found deceased on August 13, 1995 on Stouffer Road in rural Sterling, IL. The City of Mount Sterling is located in Brown County in the State of Illinois. Email address Bantas attorney, Howard Feldman, is asking the court to redact a text message or reference to a text message prosecutors said was sent about the assault but later deleted. 16 and for former Lt. Todd Sheffler and former Sgt. Dora, FL. The three were indicted after the the death of prisoner Larry Earvin, 65. The court scheduled trial for Sheffler and Banta on June 28, 2021. The court scheduled trial for Sheffler and Banta on June 28, 2021. Lawyers for Lieutenant Sheffler and Officer Banta did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday night. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. (2) accounts, the history behind an article. According to a prison record, she confided that shed known for a while about a spot in segregation where staff would take prisoners to beat them because there were no cameras. It recorded that Earvin suffered 15 rib fractures, a punctured. According to court documents, a jury trial is now scheduled to begin November 3, 2021 for Alex Banta, of Quincy, and Todd Sheffler, of Mendon. Earvin lived with schizophrenia, according to his family, and was homeless at the time of his arrest. An autopsy determined Earvins death was a homicide. Bodily injury and death to Mr. Earvin resulted from the acts committed in this violation.. Search Search. The three defendants are facing charges of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, obstruction falsification of document, and obstruction misleading conduct. MOUNT STERLING Three former correctional officers from Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling who are facing charges in the death of an inmate will not face trial until August after the court on Tuesday approved their motions to continue. 318 S. Sixth Street The statutory sentence for both conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death is any term of imprisonment up to life. Assistant U.S. A 2017 report from the John Howard Association said several inmates reported that correctional officers who assault inmates wrongly accused the inmate of resisting to justify use of force. The charge of engaging in misleading information carries a prison term of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Larry Earvin died in June 2018 from injuries a month after 13. The death of an inmate following an "altercation with correctional staff" at Western Illinois Correctional Center in May has been ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report provided to The . The indictment alleges that each defendant falsified incident reports to omit any reference to the assault and that they misled agents of the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of the assault of Earvin that each participated in and witnessed. (3) For each count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct and obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison. 535 Maine, Suite 4A Jason William Hedden, 34, of Quincy, formerly of Mount Sterling, died at 10:15 a.m. Sunday (Dec. 7, 2008) in his residence in Quincy. 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