By Corrections1 Staff
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Four inmates charged in the deadly escape attempt that killed four prison employees in North Carolina last year will be tried separately.
Three of the four inmates charged with capital murder in the deadly escape attempt appeared in court Thursday, where District Attorney Andrew Womble said that all four inmates will be tried separately, according to WCTI. Womble said since trying four capital murder cases isn’t easy, the state took its first steps in trying each defendant separately.
Womble said the size and complexity of the case will cause issues if the inmates were tried together, such as picking a jury and evidence that can be applied to some defendants but not to others.
Inmates Jonathan Monk, Wisezah Buckman, Seth Frazier and Mikel Brady are accused of using hammers and scissors to attack correctional staff during the deadly Oct. 12 escape attempt at the Pasquotank Correctional Institution. Corrections Enterprise Manager Veronica Darden, COs Justin Smith and Wendy Shannon, and maintenance worker Geoffrey Howe were killed in the escape attempt.
Brady will appear before a judge in August, and the three other inmates are scheduled for hearings in November.
Womble has already said he’s seeking the death penalty against the inmates, according to The Daily Advance.