Four former correction officers have been indicted on new charges related to the 2022 death of an inmate at Southern Regional Jail. Andrew Fleshman, Mark Holdren, Steven Wimmer and Cory Snyder were all indicted by a Raleigh County grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and felony conspiracy in the March 2022 death of 37-year-old Quantez Burks, according to Eyewitness News. All four had previously pleaded guilty and/or been sentenced to other, lesser charges in the case.
Court records said Holdren responded to a call for assistance after Burks attempted to leave his assigned pod by pushing past another correctional officer. Prosecutors said Holdren then implemented force, including multiple knee strikes while other officers restrained Burks. Walters joined Holdren and other officers in an interview room known to be hidden from surveillance cameras where Burks was beaten and pepper sprayed while handcuffed. Walters admitted to swinging Burks’ head into a metal door before dropping the unresponsive inmate in a cell. Shortly after, emergency personnel pronounced Burks dead. He was in jail awaiting trial for less than a day when the beating took place.
Walters has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.