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Posted: 8:51 PM Mar 19, 2010
Investigation Continues In Graceville Correctional Facility Murder
Authorities are continuing to investigate the death of an inmate at the Graceville Correctional Facility last week. 31-year-old Jason Owens died the morning of March 12th from injuries he sustained during a physical altercation with another inmate. His murder is raising several questions from his family.
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen |
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Authorities are continuing to investigate the death of an inmate at the Graceville Correctional Facility last week.
31-year-old Jason Owens died the morning of March 12th from injuries he sustained during a physical altercation with another inmate.
His murder is raising several questions from his family.
31-year-old Jason Owens was serving a 15-year sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility for several 2003 burglary convictions out of Pasco County.
Owens will not be serving the last half of his sentence.
He was beaten by another inmate and died from his injuries on March 12th.
"It was a physical altercation, at this point, it appears to be between two inmates, the investigation is progressing well, we do have a suspect," says DOC Communications Director Gretl Plessinger.
Authorities are not releasing the suspect's name, but Plessinger says the State Attorney's Office now has the case.
"Once we confirm the evidence then the State Attorney's Office will be able to charge that individual."
"The prison will not tell me anything."
Owens' sister, Chasity, says she's frustrated by how the prison's warden, Mark Henry, has handled her brother's murder.
"I am angry about that, Mark Henry couldn't even give me any condolences, he told me he would not tell me he was sorry or anything."
Chasity says he brother had turned his life around while in prison.
"He found God. Everybody that I talked to about this said my brother was quiet, he stayed out of trouble, he didn't get into gangs, he was a very good guy."
Owens' death has also raised a lot of questions about the prison itself.
Several viewers left comments on our web channel claiming Graceville Correctional Facility has a long history of security problems.
The facility is one of only six private prisons in Florida.
"Inmates who are sentenced to the Florida Department of Corrections custody, some of them are housed in private prisons, usually around 8,000 inmates out of 101,000 inmates."
NewsChannel 7 contacted the GEO group, who runs the Graceville prison, but they declined our interview request.
As for the Owens' family, they say they're just looking for the truth.
DOC officials have moved the suspect in Owens' death to Florida State Prison which is located in Raiford, Florida.
Latest Comments
It has been 7 months since my brothers death. I dont think that the pain of my broken and my family's. will ever go away. I am proud to say that the GEO, and warden Mark Henry are no longer at Graceville.They have been ran out and fired, so you tell me they did thier jobs correctly. I just wish something had been done earlier, so that my brother would still be here today. Jason drew me a picture of a cross, that says God grant me the seurinity to accept the thing that I cannot change, sometimes its hard to accept that he is never coming home. chasity4620@yahoo.com
vanessa this is chasity, we spoke before, and i have more info that you wouldnt believe. And about the med attention, they held him in that place just long enough for, my baby brother, Jason Owens, to shut him up, so, that he couldnt talk about the innccedent the day be fore. I know the truth, while you people have nothing better to do, but make assumptions, ive got all the evidence that I could, if anyone wants to come forward we can talk alone, or with my powerful attornies, a difference has to be made , god chose my brother, to take him home, so, that I can put an end to Warden henry and hi connies, cruption, and neglect. You people make me sick.
and to you who say they have a ecelent med team bs. you are not equipped to handle a brain trama like that, the warden henry, was neglectful, in many many ways. his diliberate indifference allowed ridge to take my brother's life. also, he was in for nonviolent crimes. oops cant sweep this one under the rug, henry you reep what you sew, good luck you are going to need it.
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