UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — In a significant development, four prison guards pleaded guilty on Monday in connection with the death of Robert Brooks, a Black inmate who suffered a brutal beating at the Marcy Correctional Facility, located in upstate New York. The disturbing incident, which occurred on December 9, 2022, was captured on bodycam footage, sparking widespread outrage and demands for reform within the prison system.
The guilty pleas arrive just two weeks ahead of a scheduled trial for several guards accused of involvement in Brooks' death. Of the ten guards indicted in February, four have pleaded guilty, while six others remain set to stand trial on October 6. Among those still facing trial are three guards charged with murder.
Two of the indicted guards, Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina, entered guilty pleas to first-degree manslaughter, a lesser charge than murder. Both guards, who have resigned following the incident, are scheduled to be sentenced to 22 years in state prison on November 21. This outcome was welcomed by the victim's family, as Robert Brooks Jr., the son of the deceased, expressed satisfaction with the legal proceedings. “It is important to us to see my father's killers publicly admit what they have done and face severe consequences,” he stated in a prepared release.
Additionally, two other guards involved in the case, Michael Mashaw and David Walters, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. Mashaw is set to receive a sentence of three to nine years in prison, while Walters will face a sentence ranging from two years and four months to seven years. Both have also resigned from their positions at the prison.
Robert Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault, having been incarcerated since 2017. He was transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility on the night he was beaten. The bodycam footage revealed shocking scenes of Brooks being struck in the chest with a shoe, lifted by his neck, and subsequently dropped, illustrating the harshness of the abuse he endured while restrained.
The first guilty plea in this case occurred in May 2023 when a guard charged with murder accepted a plea deal to plead guilty to manslaughter. Christopher Walrath, who also resigned, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August. In another related development, a different guard pleaded guilty later in May to attempted tampering with physical evidence and received a one-year conditional discharge.
William Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County District Attorney, is acting as the special prosecutor for this case. He is concurrently prosecuting another case involving the fatal beating of another inmate, Messiah Nantwi, at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, which is also located in Marcy. Ten guards were indicted in that case as well, with some facing charges of murder.
Both Marcy Correctional Facility and Mid-State Correctional Facility are situated approximately 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City. The unfolding events surrounding these cases underscore the ongoing issues of brutality and accountability within correctional institutions, drawing heightened public scrutiny and calls for systemic change.
