Jury finds Banta guilty on all five counts but can’t reach decision on Sheffler

April 25, 2022 | By David Adam, MRN Editor

Todd Sheffler, left, leaves the U.S. District Courthouse in the Paul Findley Federal Building in downtown Springfield on Monday afternoon. Walking out the door behind Sheffler is his father, Larry Sheffler. | David Adam

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.