(note: spot coming in at 5:30pm)
Three corrections officers at the state prison in Monroe have been fired in connection with the death of Officer Jayme Biendl. An internal investigation at Monroe prison previously found problems with the actions of seven staff members on the night of January 29th. That's when Biendle was strangled to death in the prison chapel, allegedly by an inmate.
Wednesday , the Superintendent of Monroe prison, Scott Frakes, issued a statement outlining disciplinary actions against those seven employees. He says they've been disciplined because they failed to take appropriate actions or intentionally misled investigators.
Three corrections officers were fired for various reasons. One officer was fired for falsely reporting that he'd inspected and secured the chapel, and for lying to the Department of Corrections and police investigators.
Another was fired for falsifying a logbook to indicate that the chapel was cleared the night of Biendl's death.
A lieutenant and sergeant were also demoted. And four staff members received letters of reprimand.
The murder of Officer Biendl was the first line-of-duty death in a Washington prison in more than three decades.
Inmate Byron Scherf is charged with aggravated first-degree murder for her death. He faces a possible death penalty.
Copyright 2011 KUOW.
Copyright 2011 KUOW
