Jury deliberates in Illinois guards’ trial in fatal beating

JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys offered starkly different explanations Friday for the fatal beating of an Illinois prison inmate four years ago in closing arguments before a jury began deliberating in the trial of two former correctional officers. Todd Sheffler and Alex Banta are charged with violating Larry Earvin’s civil rights in the brutal 2018 beating at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling. The 65-year-old Earvin died five weeks later. U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller told jury in his closing argument that the guards “beat him up and then lied to cover it up.” Defense attorneys, however, blamed other guards, including a third former correctional officer who pleaded guilty last year to violating Earvin’s civil rights.