Pasquotank Correctional Institution

On October 12, 2017, Pasquotank Correctional Institution became the site of the deadliest escape attempt in North Carolina history when four inmates used tools gathered from the prison's sewing factory to stab and bludgeon four facility employees to death, including two correctional officers, a correction enterprise manager, and a maintenance mechanic.[3]

A total of four inmates and 10 prison employees were injured during the escape attempt, which began with inmates starting a fire in the facility's sewing plant. Two employees, 35-year-old corrections officer Justin Smith and 50-year-old correction enterprises manager Veronica Darden, died of their injuries the same day of the incident.[4][5] Two other facility employees, 49-year-old corrections officer Wendy Shannon and 31-year-old maintenance mechanic Geoffrey Howe, also died as a result of injuries sustained during the attack.[6][7]

Mikel Brady, one of the prisoners involved in the botched escape attempt, was charged with four counts of first degree murder in connection with the incident, along with prison escape, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and intent to kill. In October 2019, just over two years after the incident occurred, Brady was found guilty of all 14 charges against him. The jury required just over half an hour of deliberation before returning with the verdict.[8]

District attorney Andrew Womble alleged that the escape attempt and attack had been planned for months in advance, and that although three other inmates participated in the event and were charged with murder, Brady was the ringleader. Brady confirmed that he and the other inmates, who were incarcerated in the same part of the prison, had been planning for months. They specifically chose a Thursday to launch the attempt because they knew no one would be watching the loading dock. Justin Smith, one of the four victims of the attack, had his radio stolen because Brady had observed that he "was not a good communicator". Brady planned the escape because "prisoners were treated unfairly, and the race card was always thrown."[8]

Mikel Brady was subsequently sentenced to death for his role in the murders; the jury required just over an hour of deliberation to reach this decision.[9]

Following the incident, security measures at the institution were enhanced, such as access to tools becoming more restricted. Likewise, the North Carolina prison system increased safety measures by issuing body armor to guards and tasers to supervisors. On October 12, 2022, exactly five years after the incident, Pasquotank staff released balloons into the sky and observed a moment of silence.[3]