A Texas prisoner has been indicted in the November 2023 death of a guard. TPR's Paul Flahive reports that Jabari Lewis was indicted for the capital murder of Jovian Motley.
Lewis was indicted last week in the case that Motley’s family said exposed the risks of an understaffed prison system. Less than half the positions currently are filled at the Wainright unit – were Motley was killed. Motley and a team of guards were attempting to subdue Lewis in his cell when he ended up at the bottom of the scrum and died. The case was indicted in Houston County but will be prosecuted by the state special prosecution unit which deals with crimes inside of prisons. A spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice called Motley a hero in a statement.
I'm Paul Flahive in San Antonio.
The Wainwright Unit is located in Houston County, north of Huntsville.