Md. inmate killed 4 days before rape conviction tossed

2-16-2017 Maryland:

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- Roger Largent, 69, will never get a chance to clear his name in the rape of a disabled woman: He was found beaten to death in his prison cell four days before a court tossed his conviction.

Authorities suspect Largent’s cellmate in the slaying, but they have not cited a motive or filed charges in the Saturday attack.

Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley said Monday that the state medical examiner’s office has ruled Largent’s death a homicide, CBS Baltimore reports. He died from blunt force trauma to the head.

On Wednesday, a Maryland appeals court threw out Largent’s conviction and said he should get a new trial because the jury verdict last year hinged largely on a prosecution witness’ improper testimony.

The assault happened in 2015 when Largent went to the mentally disabled woman’s house to give her and her blind husband a ride to a doctor’s appointment. The woman testified at trial that Largent walked up behind her, covered her mouth, pulled down her pants and raped her in the kitchen while her husband was upstairs.

Inmates found dead are identified

This post is to record death of Donald Peacock

5-11-15 Nebraska:

Both of the prison inmates found dead inside a housing unit at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution Monday morning were child sex offenders serving long sentences.

Donald Peacock was a year into a 40-to-50-year sentence from Dodge County, and Shon Collins had served about five years of a 66-to-80-year sentence out of Box Butte County.

Both men were 46. Prison officials believe both were killed by other inmates.

State Corrections Director Scott Frakes said it's possible inmates took advantage of the situation to settle existing grievances, and a former Tecumseh prison employee said it's probably not a coincidence that the two were convicted of the same crime.

"You almost can bet the offense is due to the crime," said the former employee. "It's striking that they were both child perps and the only two that died. ...

"It would appear that someone found a good chance and took it," he said.

Inmates found dead are identified

This post is to record death of Shon Collins

5-11-15 Nebraska:

Both of the prison inmates found dead inside a housing unit at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution Monday morning were child sex offenders serving long sentences.

Donald Peacock was a year into a 40-to-50-year sentence from Dodge County, and Shon Collins had served about five years of a 66-to-80-year sentence out of Box Butte County.

Both men were 46. Prison officials believe both were killed by other inmates.

State Corrections Director Scott Frakes said it's possible inmates took advantage of the situation to settle existing grievances, and a former Tecumseh prison employee said it's probably not a coincidence that the two were convicted of the same crime.

"You almost can bet the offense is due to the crime," said the former employee. "It's striking that they were both child perps and the only two that died. ...

"It would appear that someone found a good chance and took it," he said.