RICHMOND 鈥 Wade Scott Walters died in a suicide watch cell in a Petersburg federal prison.
His death, in precisely the type of cell where a prisoner should be keenly observed, caused an inquest within the Bureau of Prisons.
According to a video described by prosecutors, Walters, a vulnerable adult who could not speak for himself, banged his body against the walls of his cell at least 23 times. His cause of death was ultimately ruled to be a broken skull.
Federal prosecutors pursued criminal charges against a handful of staff involved. On Wednesday, Shronda Covington, a 16-year-veteran of FCI Petersburg, was handed her punishment for her role in Walters' death.
Covington, 49, was given a one-year federal prison sentence, in addition to a year of house arrest and three years supervised release. Walters鈥 family looked on via conference call from Iowa, but asked not to make any statements on the record.
People are also reading…
The sentencing decision revived a bitter fight over culpability for the bizarre death. Covington was last at the prison 22 hours before Walters died, and at least 12 prison employees, including three medical staff members, interacted with the prisoner in the interim. When Walters died, Covington was off-duty at her house in Chesterfield.
Still, prosecutors have argued she bore responsibility.
鈥淒efendant Covington was the first person who could have put a stop to this,鈥 argued U.S. Attorney Kathryn Gilbert. 鈥淭he scale of Defendant Covington鈥檚 deliberate negligence is just staggering.鈥
Her lawyers have made clear they believe the entirety of her prosecution聽鈥 from her guilty verdict to her sentencing on Wednesday聽鈥 represents a miscarriage of justice. Her lawyers said prosecutors immunized a number of prison staff who were actually on-duty while Walters was hurting himself.
Her lawyers, both former federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of Virginia, say they remain baffled by the decision to prosecute Covington. They believe she is being made to take the fall for Walters鈥 death.
鈥淭hey basically made Ms. Covington the scapegoat for the entire institution,鈥 said Melissa O鈥橞oyle. 鈥淭he rest of the institution apparently gets a pass. Nothing. No consequences at all for any of these individuals. Three of them still work there.鈥
Prosecutors have charged at least three other individuals involved in the case. One employee died by suicide after receiving a letter from prosecutors. Tonya Farley, the prison鈥檚 nurse, will be sentenced on May 8. And a fourth, former Lt. Michael Anderson, pled guilty and received a three-year sentence in 2023.
In December, a jury found Covington wasn鈥檛 guilty of Walters鈥 death. However, the jury did find that she was guilty of negligence contributing to his injury and of making a false statement to an investigator. Wednesday鈥檚 sentencing proceeded on those charges.
But prosecutors with the Department of Justice鈥檚 Civil Rights division aimed to throw the book at Covington. A trio of prosecutors for the office argued for a 10-year maximum sentence for Covington, which they calculated by using a sentencing strategy called 鈥渃ross-referencing.鈥
Covington should still be penalized as if she had committed manslaughter, they argued, because the manslaughter 鈥渙verlapped鈥 with her negligence.
O鈥橞oyle and Fernando Groene聽鈥 Covington鈥檚 defense team聽鈥 argued against the strategy all morning. O鈥橞oyle called the move a miscarriage of justice and 鈥渁 violation of the 5th and 6th amendments of the Constitution.鈥
鈥淲hat the government is asking you to do is ignore that verdict entirely,鈥 argued O鈥橞oyle. 鈥淭hey are asking you to basically gamble with Ms. Covington鈥檚 life.鈥
Covington gave her own statement, saying that she never would have imagined her career would end in a man鈥檚 death.
鈥淜nowing that my institution has failed Mr. Walters is something I will have to bear聽for the rest of my life,鈥 said Covington, who asked for mercy for her colleague, Farley.
The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Roderick Young. Young denied the request to cross-reference from prosecutors, then issued a sentence of just a year.
Still, he聽remonstrated Covington at the conclusion of proceedings. His criticism, he explained, was based on testimony heard at trial: that Covington had been warned several times about Walters and yet made no visit to his cell.
鈥淵ou had a leadership position at the Bureau of Prisons. You had an obligation to check on him, and you didn鈥檛. You had some responsibility,鈥 said Young. 鈥淭here was a chain of events and you were a part of that chain.鈥
Covington was given a month to report to a U.S. Marshall to begin her sentence. Outside of the courtroom, Covington鈥檚 cousin, Crystal Fraser, said she thought the ruling was a 鈥渢ravesty.鈥
In a statement, Groene called the decision a travesty of justice, considering Covington had left the Petersburg facility 24 hours before Walters had any injuries.
鈥淏ut the same government allows the five male officers who watched the victim crash and fall 23 times while he cracked his skull聽鈥 and who offered no assistance聽鈥 to keep their jobs and walk free,鈥 said Groene.
Groene said they intend to appeal the sentencing decision.
