Willie Hedden, 41, of Mount Sterling, and officer Alex Banta . MOUNT STERLING, Ill. Jury selection for the trial of two former correctional guards charged in the 2018 death of an inmate in the Western Illinois Correctional Center will begin Wednesday. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) A state prison guard on Tuesday pleaded guilty to federal felony charges related to the 2018 beating death of an inmate at Western Illinois Correctional Center. The federal charges accused the three of assaulting Earvin while he was restrained and handcuffed, falsifying incident reports to omit any reference to the assault and misleading Illinois State Police agents by denying any knowledge of the assault. Click the Purchase Story button below to order a print of this story. Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Willie Heddens employment status with the Illinois Department of Corrections. Sterling, Illinois. They said he was handcuffed and restrained when he was beaten and posed no threat to the guards. Delight High School (1990 - 1994) . Willie Hedden, 41; and Officer Alex Banta, 28, were arraigned in federal court in Springfield, Ill., on Friday afternoon for their roles in the May 17, 2018, assault. It recorded that Earvin suffered 15 rib fractures, a punctured colon, and two dozen or more abrasions, hemorrhages and lacerations. QUINCY Rebecca Bliefnick, 41, of 2528 Kentucky Road, was found dead Thursday afternoon by a family member who went QUINCY Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department, said hes making no apologies for being tight-lipped about the QUINCY Quincy police officers responded to a report of a fatality at a house in the 2500 block of QUINCY A man on a motorcycle was killed Sunday night when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A federal jury returned guilty verdicts on Thursday, Feb. 23 against Kelsey Hickman, 31, of Quincy, Ill. Jury selection begins Wednesday in trial of former correctional guards charged with 2018 death of inmate in Mount Sterling prison, DAILY MUDDY: Processing the process and get ready to run at Kelly's, Quincy woman dead, case being treated as a homicide, We have only one chance to get it right: Yates asks for patience as Bliefnick investigation continues, Motorcyclist killed Sunday night after collision with pickup truck at 12th and Park Place, Federal jury finds Quincy woman guilty of meth, firearm charges. Following the assault, Sheffler, Hedden and Banta each allegedly filed knowingly false incident reports that failed to disclose any assault of Earvin. The two civil rights counts each carry penalties of as much as life in prison. A locked padlock According to a police report, he stole watches from a hospital gift shop, and then attempted to sell them on the street to a woman. The incidents usually started with a conflict between a guard and prisoner, and, as a result, the prisoner was sent to segregation for discipline. Court records said he was assaulted May 17, 2018, and suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other serious internal injuries. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree has been a reporter for the Journal-Courier since May 2014. Former corrections officers Todd Sheffler of Mendon, Willie Hedden of Mount Sterling and Alex Banta of Quincy will go on trial April 6. Defendant Alex Banta's Motion to Modify Bond Conditions to Permit Travel for Employment Purposes into Missouri Within a Thirty-Mile Radius of Quincy, Illinois 63 is ALLOWED. Review: Springfield Beer Co.'s Mexican Lager a worthy tribute Antioxidants' protection best in natural form. Mr. Hedden owned and operated Hedden Construction, Plumbing and Heating in Mt. According to a federal indictment filed this week, Todd Sheffler, 51, of Mendon; Willie Hedden, 41, of Mt. The case was later turned over to the FBI. | Advertising It is the mission of the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigations to work with our state and federal partners to hold accountable those who betray that trust.. Hedden, 43, of Mount Sterling, testified during the four-week trial that he, Sheffler and Banta punched, kicked, stomped and jumped on Earvin in the vestibule of Western's segregation unit,. The guard, Sgt. 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. 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. Each defendant is charged individually with obstruction of the investigation: falsification of document (one count) and misleading conduct (one count.) View Current Number . Attorneys William Vig and Sara Vig represent Sheffler. 18:1512B.F: INTIMIDATION OR FORCE AGAINST WITNESS - On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, the Defendant knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person in violation of 18:1512(b)(3). 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. Sheffler and Banta have pleaded not guilty. For each count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct and obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison. phone number (217) 773 . Illinois Prison Guard Pleads Guilty for Role in Beating Inmate to Death, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/09/us/illinois-prison-guard-civil-rights.html. Surgery to remove a portion of his bowel followed the injury. | Sign In, Verdict Corrections Rock Island: (309) 793-5884 Sheffler and Banta are each charged with conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Hedden, 42, of Mt. Sterling, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death for his participation in the May 17, 2018, assault of an inmate who was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and posed no physical threat to Hedden or others. 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. Breadcrumb. 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. A grand jury indicted the correctional officers, who also face charges that they falsified reports and misled investigators, in connection with [] Willie Hedden, 42, a sergeant at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Darren Iozia is associate editor and joined the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in February 2020. This followed their arrest on charges related to a May 2018 incident where an inmate was assaulted and later died at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. As part of a plea agreement that calls upon him to cooperate with federal prosecutors, Hedden told Mills that he conspired with two other correctional officers to assault Earvin as the three were transferring Earvin from a residential housing unit to another unit on May 17, 2018, at the Brown County prison 75 miles west of Springfield. For each count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct and obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison. Willie Hedden pleaded Guilty Tuesday via video at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Springfield . Sterling, Ill., Willie Hedden, today entered pleas of guilty to charges related to his role in the May 2018 assault of an inmate who died as a result of the injuries sustained in the assault. Main Office: Sterling, admitted to his role in a May 17, 2018 assault at the prison. Authorities said Hedden persuaded a friend to delete a text message in which Hedden admitted to being involved in the assault of Earvin. 318 S. Sixth Street She said the department cooperated fully with authorities and all staff were immediately placed on leave. Hedden also is charged with obstruction destruction of record or other object, and misleading conduct after he allegedly asked a friend to delete a text message in which he admitted his involvement in the assault, according to indictment documents. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This afternoon, the court held a status hearing by videoconference for co-defendants Todd Sheffler, 52, of Mendon, Ill., and Alex Banta, 29, of Quincy, Ill. Main Office: Hedden, who appeared in front of U.S. District Court Judge Richard Mills via videoconference because of safety precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to be sentenced July 21 for crimes that carry up to a life sentence. An autopsy revealed he died of gunshot wounds. The coroner ruled his death a homicide, as first reported by WBEZ. The other two officers still face charges of violating Earvins civil rights and obstruction for trying to cover up the incident and lying to investigators. Hedden, 42, of Mt. Willie Hedden admitted he violated the civil rights of Larry Earvin, 65, while Earvin was handcuffed at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. However, our criminal justice system requires that those who perform these difficult duties do so lawfully. In the crime, the inmate, identified. Three former Western Illinois Correctional Center officers are likely to face . Previously, Willie used to live in 301 E North St, Mt . Former corrections officers Todd Sheffler of Mendon, Willie Hedden of Mount Sterling and Alex Banta of Quincy will go on trial April 6. Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Earvin suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other serious internal injuries. Willie Hedden, 43, of Mount Sterling, charged along with Sheffler and Banta but who pleaded guilty and testified for the government in hopes of sentencing leniency. Court: United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois (Sangamon County), Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorneys Office, Description: Springfield, Illinois deprivation of civil rights criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant, Willie Hedden, who was charged for his role in the May 2018 assault of an inmate who died as a result of the injuries sustained in the assault. Willie Hedden of Mt. Three Illinois prison guards have been arraigned on charges of assault and civil rights violations in the May 2018 death of an inmate at Western Illinois Correctional Center. Earvin, who was serving a six-year sentence for robbery in Cook County and was scheduled to be paroled in September 2018, died at a Centralia Correctional Center hospital on June 26, 2018 as a result of those injuries. 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