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The sentencing of two Mid-State Correctional Facility officers, Nathan Palmer and Joshua Bartlett, has been postponed. The officers, who pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and falsifying business records, were due to be sentenced on Monday (November 17) in Oneida County Court. However, Judge Michael Nolan stated that their sentencing will be delayed until the trial of other officers involved in the case is concluded.
The case revolves around the death of inmate Messiah Nantwi, who was beaten to death at the facility in Marcy on March 1. The incident occurred during a time when the facility was experiencing a staff shortage due to a statewide strike. An indictment accuses the officers of meeting at a local diner the day after the incident to create a false narrative about what happened.
Other officers, including Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, are facing more serious charges, with Levi and Blair charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that Levi threw Nantwi down the stairs, resulting in fatal head trauma. The trial for these officers is expected to take place in January of next year.
Palmer and Bartlett are now expected to return to court on February 25. The delay in their sentencing is linked to the ongoing legal proceedings for the other officers involved in the case.