Post by CCADP on Aug 23, 2005 5:40:45 GMT -5
Prison guards fired after killer's suicide on Ohio's death row
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Associated Press
Columbus- A convicted killer on Ohio's death row who committed suicide in May was likely dead more than three hours before his body was found, indicating a breakdown in the system for checking on inmates, according to a report on the suicide released Monday.
The state said it fired two prison guards over the handling of the May 7 suicide of Martin Koliser, who was sentenced to die for killing a Youngstown police officer in 2003. Koliser used a nylon belt that he tied around the frame of his bunk bed to hang himself.
Under prison procedures, a guard should have checked on Koliser twice an hour. Instead, the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said a check was made about 1:30 a.m. and again about 5:30 a.m., when the body was found, according to the report.
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The prison system believes the suicide happened between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m., contradicting the coroner's report, which concluded Koliser died at 5:30 a.m.
The report found numerous other problems with the handling of the suicide at Mansfield Correctional Institution, including inadequate documentation of guards' activities at night, broken first aid kits and a failure to regularly carry out drills to prevent and respond to suicides.
The report follows February's unsuccessful escape attempt from death row in which two inmates built a ladder from sheets and rolled-up newspapers and magazines.
In that incident, prison officials blamed "gross deficiencies in supervision" and reprimanded several administrators, including the warden.
Collectively, the two problems look bad coming so close together, prison system spokeswoman Andrea Dean acknowledged Monday.
"But we've addressed both incidents. People have been disciplined as a result of both incidents," she said. "We're confident that changes are being made and that people are being held accountable and they're going to carry out their job duties in an appropriate manner."
The prison based its conclusions on interviews with inmates, guards and a videotape taken when Koliser's body was found that shows muscle stiffening that occurs hours after death already set in, Dean said.
The state said it fired guards James Clark and Jeffrey Whitaker and disciplined unit Capt. John Cantrell. Messages seeking comment were left for the three, and a request was made for responses the guards submitted in response to the discipline.
Koliser told a fellow inmate he was going to commit suicide over the state's decision to move death row to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, fearing for his life since he killed a Youngstown police officer, according to the report.
Koliser had been on death row since November 2003 for killing Youngstown Patrolman Michael Hartzell, 26, in April 2003 as the officer investigated a shooting.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Associated Press
Columbus- A convicted killer on Ohio's death row who committed suicide in May was likely dead more than three hours before his body was found, indicating a breakdown in the system for checking on inmates, according to a report on the suicide released Monday.
The state said it fired two prison guards over the handling of the May 7 suicide of Martin Koliser, who was sentenced to die for killing a Youngstown police officer in 2003. Koliser used a nylon belt that he tied around the frame of his bunk bed to hang himself.
Under prison procedures, a guard should have checked on Koliser twice an hour. Instead, the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said a check was made about 1:30 a.m. and again about 5:30 a.m., when the body was found, according to the report.
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The prison system believes the suicide happened between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m., contradicting the coroner's report, which concluded Koliser died at 5:30 a.m.
The report found numerous other problems with the handling of the suicide at Mansfield Correctional Institution, including inadequate documentation of guards' activities at night, broken first aid kits and a failure to regularly carry out drills to prevent and respond to suicides.
The report follows February's unsuccessful escape attempt from death row in which two inmates built a ladder from sheets and rolled-up newspapers and magazines.
In that incident, prison officials blamed "gross deficiencies in supervision" and reprimanded several administrators, including the warden.
Collectively, the two problems look bad coming so close together, prison system spokeswoman Andrea Dean acknowledged Monday.
"But we've addressed both incidents. People have been disciplined as a result of both incidents," she said. "We're confident that changes are being made and that people are being held accountable and they're going to carry out their job duties in an appropriate manner."
The prison based its conclusions on interviews with inmates, guards and a videotape taken when Koliser's body was found that shows muscle stiffening that occurs hours after death already set in, Dean said.
The state said it fired guards James Clark and Jeffrey Whitaker and disciplined unit Capt. John Cantrell. Messages seeking comment were left for the three, and a request was made for responses the guards submitted in response to the discipline.
Koliser told a fellow inmate he was going to commit suicide over the state's decision to move death row to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, fearing for his life since he killed a Youngstown police officer, according to the report.
Koliser had been on death row since November 2003 for killing Youngstown Patrolman Michael Hartzell, 26, in April 2003 as the officer investigated a shooting.