Rikers guard arrested in connection with homeless veteran who 'baked to death'

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Associated Press in New York
theguardian.com, Monday 8 December 2014 21.39 GMT

A jail guard has been arrested in connection with the death of a homeless ex-Marine inside a 101ºF jail cell in a special Rikers Island unit for mentally ill inmates, prosecutors said Monday.

Carol Lackner, who surrendered to authorities, faces multiple counts of falsifying business records and official misconduct for making logbook entries indicating she toured every half hour to check on 56-year-old Jerome Murdough and other inmates in his unit even though video didn’t show her doing so, according to prosecutors in the Bronx.

She faces up to four years if convicted on all counts. Her next court date is 17 February. Her lawyer didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The Associated Press first reported the shocking 15 February death of Murdough in the overheated cell, after a city official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Murdough “basically baked to death” when he was left unchecked for at least four hours as malfunctioning equipment caused his cell to overheat.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/08/rikers-jail-guard-arrested-jerome-murdough

[msanthrope]

1. Jeebus.....arrested for trespassing, unable to make bail, baked to death.

NYC already settled the case. I hope the guard goes to jail.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Unforgiveable throughout the entire story.

From the article:

Murdough had been arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge for sleeping in an enclosed stairwell in a Harlem public housing building and sent to Rikers after being unable to make $2,500 bail. His family did not learn about his death until they were contacted nearly a month later by the AP.

[center] - click for photo -

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1809917!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/hot-cell-death.jpg

Jason DeCrow/AP

Alma Murdough holds a photo of her son, Jerome. Jerome was a mentally
ill, homeless former Marine arrested for sleeping in the roof landing. [/center]

[HereSince1628]

3. "Baked to death" ON A FUCKING FEBRUARY 17th in NYC!!!!!!

And she gets 4 years for falsifying business records and misconduct?

And even that WON'T be 4 years, because using some screwed up formula she'll be credited multiple days for every day of good behavior.

Ya, ya...prison overcrowding, need more room for 'real criminals'.

WHAT? LIVES MATTER! Even if those lives belong to persons with mental disorders.

[pasto76]

4. Everytime you look at a homeless person, you better see a Veteran

I do. Its changed my actions. I have a difficult time passing them by. I usually have MREs in my car to hand out the window. a 20 spot (when my wife lets me have cash). I dont ask if they are veterans, I just assume they are.

[daleanime]

5. +1

If that doesn't work, think of them as family.

[PoliticAverse]

6. A charge of 'criminally negligent homicide' wasn't an option? n/t

[malokvale77]

7. It would be just...

If she had to spent every day of her confinement in that same cell.