Former New York Prison Guard Faces Murder Trial Over Inmate's Death
A former upstate New York prison guard is currently on trial for murder, with prosecutors alleging he repeatedly stomped on the head of a 22-year-old inmate during a violent assault by multiple guards. The trial began on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, focusing on the death of Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility on March 1, 2025.
Prosecution Details Brutal Beating and Cover-Up Allegations
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, serving as special prosecutor, told jurors in his opening statement that investigators collected DNA evidence from boots belonging to Jonah Levi and another guard. Both face top charges of second-degree murder. Fitzpatrick described the incident with stark language, stating eyewitness testimony would show Levi "multiple times stomped Messiah Nantwi on the head" with "utter depravity and recklessness."
Prosecutors claim Nantwi suffered 69 separate body blows from guards using fists, boots, and batons in a series of beatings. They allege his death resulted from massive head trauma and other injuries sustained during the assault. Furthermore, prosecutors assert guards falsely claimed a makeshift knife was recovered as part of a cover-up effort.
Defense Argues Justified Use of Force
Levi's attorney, Lewis G. Spicer, presented a contrasting narrative to the jury. He argued the use of force was justified due to Nantwi's aggressive behavior, claiming Levi "was doing everything he was supposed to do" and did not use any force that caused Nantwi's death. Spicer described prosecutors' version as "extremely sanitized," stating Nantwi was high on synthetic marijuana and acted as the initial aggressor.
The defense emphasized Nantwi resisted being handcuffed, grabbed a guard's vest, and bit a guard's hand during the confrontation. Spicer told jurors, "You're going to hear him fighting back," suggesting the inmate's actions provoked the guards' response.
Broader Context of Prison System Turmoil
Nantwi's death occurred during a period of significant instability in New York's prison system. At the time, facilities were struggling to function during a three-week wildcat strike by guards protesting working conditions, which forced the governor to deploy National Guard troops. Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi's room to assist National Guard members during a prisoner headcount.
Prosecutors claim the situation had already been resolved when the response team arrived, yet several guards began beating Nantwi after he refused handcuffs. Fitzpatrick stated bluntly, "He's dead because he protested cuffing up and because he tried to bite someone's finger."
This incident followed another fatal beating months earlier, when Robert Brooks died at a separate prison across the road from Mid-State. Prisoner advocates argue these cases illustrate a pervasive culture of violence by guards in New York prisons.
Evidence Challenges and Legal Proceedings
Unlike the Brooks case, which was captured on body cameras, video footage may play a limited role in this trial. Prosecutors note some guards involved were not wearing mandated body cameras, turned them off, or looked away during the incident. Levi faces multiple charges including first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, fifth-degree conspiracy, and first-degree offering a false instrument for file.
Levi is the first guard to face a jury in this case; more than half a dozen others have pleaded guilty to lesser charges related to the incident and alleged cover-up. Nantwi had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon since May 2024, stemming from a 2021 exchange of gunfire with police where he was shot multiple times while officers remained uninjured.
Separately, Manhattan prosecutors state Nantwi was accused of shooting and killing two individuals in Harlem in April 2023: 19-year-old Jaylen Duncan on a street and 36-year-old Brandon Brunson at a smoke shop following an argument.
