By Mark Morales and Caroll Alvarado, CNN
(CNN) — One of six New York state prison guards indicted on murder charges in connection with the beating death of an inmate has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
Christopher Walrath, 36, accepted a plea deal at a court hearing Monday. The deal, which would effectively nullify his murder charge, includes 15 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision for the manslaughter charge – though the judge will issue his final sentence August 4.
The inmate, 43-year-old Robert Brooks, was beaten multiple times by correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for assault and was transferred from another facility to Marcy the night of the beating last December.
Body-camera footage of the beating sparked a firestorm of criticism over the violence and brutality some inmates experience at the hands of corrections officers.
A total of 10 prison guards were charged in connection with Brooks’ death. Six were charged with murder, three with manslaughter and one with evidence tampering.
Brooks was beaten several times, including while he was handcuffed.
“Several of his internal organs were bruised,” special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick said in February, after six prison employees were indicted on murder charges.
“His hyoid bone was fractured. His thyroid cartilage was ripped,” Fitzpatrick said. “He also died as a result of repeated restriction to his airways, causing severe brain damage. And finally, he died by choking on his own blood.”
At Monday’s hearing, Fitzpatrick asked Walrath if he used a chokehold on Brooks and beat him while in the emergency room – including hitting Brooks in the groin. Walrath replied, “Yes.”
The prosecutor also asked Walrath if he used force and then lied about it. Walrath responded, “Yes.”
“You realize that these repeated assaults caused serious physical injury to Mr. Brooks and resulted in his death,” Fitzpatrick asked.
“Yes,” Walrath replied.
Brooks’ son, Robert Brooks Jr., said Walrath will soon know what it’s like to be on the other side of the prison system – as an inmate, subject to the guards’ orders.
“Now, Mr. Walrath’s life is in the hands of prison officials. This must be a terrifying prospect for him and his family, knowing what staff is capable of, and how little the system values the lives of incarcerated people,” the son said in a written statement.
“I pray that Mr. Walrath has the opportunity in prison to rehabilitate himself, and come out a better man. This is what every single person in prison deserves, but it was viciously taken away from my father.”
In addition to the criminal cases against the prison staff members, Brooks’ family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit. The suit names 17 defendants, most of whom are current or former employees at Marcy who were present when Brooks was beaten.
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