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Two corrections officers from Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy are considering plea deals related to the death of inmate Messiah Nantwi. Francis Chandler and David Ferrone appeared in Oneida County Court on Monday (July 21) to request more time to decide on the plea offers. The court granted their request, giving them until August 15 to make a decision.
Chandler and Ferrone face charges of second-degree manslaughter, among others, in connection with the March 1 beating death of Nantwi. The incident involved more than ten correctional officers, and three have already pleaded guilty. According to Rome Sentinel, the officers are accused of beating Nantwi to the point of unresponsiveness and then dragging him to the infirmary, where he was assaulted again.
The case has drawn significant attention, with allegations of a cover-up by the officers involved. A grand jury indictment revealed that the officers conspired to file false reports about the incident. Former corrections officer Joshua Bartlet has already pleaded guilty to first-degree hindering prosecution and falsifying business records, admitting to assisting his colleagues in covering up the incident.
The Utica Observer-Dispatch reported that the indictment also alleges that the officers met after the incident to agree on a false narrative. The case is ongoing, and the outcomes of Chandler and Ferrone's plea considerations remain to be seen.