Jail Staff Manipulated Officials While Inmate Died in Squalor
A former lieutenant at a Walker County, Alabama jail has admitted that officers intentionally kept conditions inside the facility “as filthy as possible” as part of a scheme to pressure county commissioners into increasing salaries and the jail’s budget. The ploy resulted in the death of 33-year-old Tony Mitchell, who suffered from sepsis and hypothermia after being left in a feces-covered concrete cell without medical care for two weeks, according to new plea documents.
Former lieutenant Benjamin Shoemaker became the ninth jail employee to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with Mitchell’s death. He agreed last month to plead guilty to three federal counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law.
Mitchell’s Death Used as a “Prop” for Budget Increases
Shoemaker’s plea documents, made public for the first time, revealed that Mitchell’s mistreatment was not simply negligence but part of a deliberate effort to create dire conditions that could be leveraged for funding. Two days before Mitchell died, Shoemaker and his co-conspirators planned to use Mitchell’s squalid cell as evidence to convince a visiting county commissioner that the jail needed additional resources.
When a well-meaning jailer, unaware of the scheme, cleaned up Mitchell’s cell, Shoemaker berated them. He then instructed another inmate to act “crazy” during the commissioner’s visit and rewarded him with honey buns for his performance. The commissioner was not named in the plea deal, and it is unclear if they directly witnessed Mitchell’s conditions.
Mitchell Denied Medical Care, Left to Die
Mitchell had been arrested on January 12, 2023, after a family member called for a welfare check, reporting that he was experiencing a mental health crisis and talking about “portals to hell.” Authorities claimed he had fired a weapon at officers before his arrest.
Over the next two weeks, Mitchell was denied medical attention despite his deteriorating condition. According to previous guilty pleas from jail staff, he remained “almost always naked, wet, cold, and covered in feces while lying on the cement floor without a mat or blanket.” When nurses finally insisted he be taken to a hospital, Shoemaker deliberately delayed his transfer for more than three hours. Mitchell died soon after.
Pattern of Violence and Abuse at the Jail
The corruption at Walker County Jail extended beyond Mitchell’s case. Shoemaker admitted to assaulting at least two other inmates, and his plea deal describes a jail culture in which officers were encouraged to physically abuse detainees. In one instance, Shoemaker was promoted to lieutenant as a reward for beating an inmate.
The sheriff’s department has not commented on the allegations, and the Walker County sheriff has not been implicated in Shoemaker’s plea deal. A lawyer representing both Shoemaker and the sheriff in civil litigation declined to comment.
More Legal Fallout Expected
Shoemaker is scheduled to be arraigned on February 13. Seven other corrections officers and a contracted nurse have already pleaded guilty to federal charges related to Mitchell’s death. The investigation remains ongoing, with further consequences likely for those involved in the abuse and neglect at the jail.
