Prison Guards Charged with the Death of Female Prisoner

By Merylee Robbins

Published on September 30, 2005

Joshua Schockman, Jeremy Neese, William Wood, and Andre Hendricks were indicted by a grand jury on felony counts of aggravated assault and reckless homicide for the death. The guards and their superiors at Corrections Corporations of America, the company they work for, deny that officers struck or used force against Richardson at any time. CCA refuses to provide details of the events leading up to Richardson's death.

Richardson was found unresponsive in her solitary confinement cell after a one night stay for misconduct. The guards have reported that prior to leaving her in the cell, she appeared to be fine. At the hospital Richardson was immediately pronounced dead. The Metro Medical Examiner determined her death to be the result of a blunt force injury to the head. Other injuries found include a cracked scull, four broken ribs, and liver damage. He also confirmed that the injuries could not have been self-inflicted or caused accidentially.

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