Former Missouri prison guards plead not guilty to murder of black man

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (AP) — Four former Missouri guards have pleaded not guilty to the prison killing of a black man, and a fifth has pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting involuntary manslaughter.

Othel Moore Jr., 38, died Dec. 8 at Jefferson City Correctional Center. A criminal complaint filed Friday says guards sprayed Moore with pepper spray, placed a mask over his face and left him in a position where he would have suffocated.

Cole County Circuit Court Associate Judge Christopher Limbaugh on Monday denied bail for three of the men charged with second-degree murder: Aaron Brown, Jacob Case and Justin Leggins. Gregory Varner, who is also charged with second-degree murder, is being held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday. All three were released after Moore’s death.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said Monday that Bryanne Bradshaw, who is charged with aiding and abetting manslaughter, paid bail and was released from jail. Her next court date is scheduled for July 30.

Moore was searched for contraband during a raid on his cell and stripped down to his boxer shorts. His hands were then handcuffed behind his back and he was led outside, according to a statement from officials. Moore showed no aggression during the process and followed orders, investigators wrote.

While handcuffed and standing outside his cell door, Moore was sprayed with pepper spray. He was then placed in a spit hood, leg cuffs and a restraint chair, according to Thompson’s office. Guards told investigators that Moore disobeyed orders to be quiet and spat at them, although witnesses said Moore spat pepper spray from his mouth.

Thompson said several people heard Moore say he couldn’t breathe and the events were recorded on the prison’s video surveillance system.

Moore was eventually taken to a hospital wing and pronounced dead. Thompson said the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be positional asphyxia and ruled his death a homicide.

Moore, who grew up in St. Louis, was serving a 30-year prison sentence for various charges, including second-degree domestic violence and first-degree robbery. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit Friday against the defendants and the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The Department of Corrections said in a statement that it has cooperated with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation and has made changes to its procedures since Moore’s death.

Leggins and Brown told the judge Monday that they are still trying to hire private attorneys to represent them. No one immediately responded to a Facebook message from The Associated Press to a person associated with Leggins.

It is unclear whether Varner and Bradshaw have hired lawyers: Missouri’s online court records system was unavailable statewide Monday, and the jail refused to allow the AP to speak to Varner. A phone message and email to contacts associated with Bradshaw were not immediately returned Monday.

Case said he has an attorney, but due to the loss of court records it is unclear who that is.

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Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.

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