Rikers Guard Who Allegedly Allowed Inmate to "Bake to Death" Arrested
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Carol Lackner, the Rikers Island prison guard who reportedly left her post as James Murdough died of hyperthermia in February, was arrested and charged with lying about the incident today, the New York Daily News reports. Murdough, who was homeless and suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, "basically baked to death" in his 101-degree-cell, officials told the Associated Press at the time.
Lackner allegedly failed to perform a scheduled cell inspection the evening of Murdough's death and filed a false log report claiming that she had. She was charged this morning with seven felonies and 12 misdemeanors regarding falsifying records and official misconduct, for which she faces up to four years in prison, BuzzFeed News reports. She is currently awaiting arraignment.
Murdough was arrested for trespassing after allegedly sleeping in the hallway of a Manhattan public housing project, and had been incarcerated for a week at the time of his death. The cell's overheating was reportedly caused by malfunctioning equipment.
Murdough's death wasn't the first time Lackner came into trouble for evacuating her post, the News notes: In 2010, she lost 10 vacation days after committing a similar offense at Rikers' women's facility.
[Image via AP]