Jury finds Banta guilty on all five counts but can’t reach decision on Sheffler
SPRINGFIELD — An eight-man, four-woman jury found one former prison guard at the Western Illinois Correctional Center guilty of all five charges in a trial that ended Monday, but the jury could not come to a decision on the fate of a second prison guard.
Alex Banta, 30, of Quincy was found guilty of depriving inmate Larry Earvin of his civil rights, conspiracy to deprive civil rights, tampering with a witness, destruction or falsification of records and intimidation or force against a witness.
Banta, along with Todd Sheffler and Willie Hedden, allegedly brutalized Earvin, a 65-year-old handcuffed inmate in the Mount Sterling facility, on May 17, 2018, then later allegedly attempted a coverup. Earvin died on June 26, 2018.
The jury could not reach a verdict against Sheffler, who faced the same charges as Banta. A status hearing in his case has been scheduled for Friday.
Hedden, who is from Mount Sterling, pleaded guilty in March 2021 and was a government witness in this case.
This story will be updated.
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