4 charged in Jefferson City inmate’s death indicted by grand jury
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Four former corrections officers who were charged in the death of an inmate at Jefferson City Correctional Center were indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.
Jacob Case and Justin Leggins were charged with third-degree accessory to assault and second-degree murder in a joint indictment along with Bryanne Bradshaw and Aaron Brown, who were charged with accessory to second-degree assault and second-degree murder. All four had posted bond in July. Bradshaw was previously charged with involuntary manslaughter.
An arraignment for the new set of charges is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16.
A fifth person charged in the case – Gregory Varner – was not listed on the joint indictment filed on Thursday. But, Varner still has charges including second-degree accessory to assault and second-degree murder. Court records show he has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4.
Othel Moore entered prison in 2005 and was serving a 30-year sentence for domestic assault, drug possession, robbery, armed criminal action and violence to a prison inmate or employee.
The Missouri Justice Coalition has said Moore was excessively pepper sprayed by the JCCC Emergency Response Team before his head was covered with a hood, his body was wrapped and he was strapped to a restraint cart. The coalition said Moore was then taken to a dry cell in Housing Unit 8.
Four corrections officers were fired after an internal investigation though their names were not released at the time. The Cole County Sheriff's Department conducted the criminal investigation.
A probable cause statement says Leggins pepper-sprayed a handcuffed Moore without provocation. Previous reporting indicates that Moore died from suffocation after the contents of his stomach got into his lungs.
