On
this date, May 1, 2008, there was a prison homicide that was caught on CCTV in
Arizona. There was no doubt about the guilt at all; even abolitionist cannot
use this as an ‘innocent’ argument. The murderer, Pete Van Winkle was sentenced to death on November 17, 2009. I will post the information from trutv.com.
A May 1, 2008, inmate-on-inmate attack
(pictured) was captured by surveillance cameras, though not in time to prevent
the murder of offender Robert Cotton (right inset), who was in the Maricopa
County Jail awaiting trial for auto theft. Cotton was attacked in the cell
occupied by Aryan Brotherhood gang member Pete Van Winkle (left inset), who was
awaiting trial on attempted murder charges. The surveillance footage shows
Cotton enter the cell and minutes later shows Van Winkle strangle Cotton, punch
him and slam his head on the floor before repeatedly stomping on it. Finally
Van winkle drags Cotton out of the cell, kicks him repeatedly and walks away.
Van Winkle then walks calmly down the stairs and lays face down on the floor
below. Investigators claim that the guard that was supposed to be monitoring
the surveillance camera was on the phone. Once the body was public, though, it
still took guards 5 minutes to respond. A report released by the sheriff's
office indicates that the beating may have been triggered by Cotton's refusal
to beat up another prisoner for the Aryan Brotherhood. Guards stormed the
cellblock a full 20 minutes after the attack began, but Cotton was already
dead. Van Winkle was tried and convicted of the murder. In November 2009 he was
sentenced to death. Cotton's family filed a $2 million against the sheriff's
office, which settled for $500,000.
By Cora Van Olson
CHECK THIS VIDEO TO SEE THE PRISON
HOMICIDE:
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