Vaughn prison riot trial begins Monday: What to know

Testimony will begin Monday in the trial of four men accused of murder and other crimes during the fatal prison riot at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. 

In February 2017, prisoners overpowered guards with makeshift weapons and barricaded Building C at the Smyrna prison, holding staffers hostage.

Correctional officer Lt. Steven Floyd was killed during the riot, and two other correctional officers were beaten before being released. A counselor at the jail was held for some 18 hours before police burst through a barricade with a backhoe, rescuing her and ending the standoff. 

During the uprising, prisoners communicated with law enforcement and The News Journal, railing against prison conditions. The episode ignited lawsuits, calls for better correctional officer pay and demands for better prison conditions.

Here's what you need to know:

Who is on trial; what are charges? 

Monday marks the beginning of five separate trials between now and February in which 17 inmates are set to be tried for crimes tied to the riot. 

Last year, 18 inmates were indicted on charges including murder and kidnapping. Of those, 16 were charged with Floyd's killing and one has already pleaded guilty. 

The four men who will be on trial Monday are: 

• Jarreau Ayers, 36, who is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.
• Deric Forney, 28, who is serving 11 years for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
• Roman Shankaras, 30, who is serving seven years for riot and first-degree riot.
• Dwayne Staats, 35, who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.

The men are facing multiple counts of assault and kidnapping as well as riot, conspiracy and first-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence upon conviction. 

Two of the men, Ayers and Staats, have opted to represent themselves during the trial. This means they will be responsible for cross-examining witnesses and lodging objections to the state's evidence and witness questions. 

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Who decides guilt?

A jury of 12 New Castle County residents was selected earlier this month and will hear the evidence.

Eight women, four men and six alternates will hear trial testimony. The alternates can join the jury panel mid-trial if one of the initial jurors must withdraw. 

Jury selection took place across four days and included interviews with some 225 potential jurors.

Judge William Carpenter Jr., prosecutors and defense attorneys culled the pool to the current panel.

The trial is expected to last up to four weeks. Many potential jurors were excused after they told Carpenter their jobs would not accommodate such a long absence. 

Who will testify?

The nature of the evidence against the men as well as potential evidence and witnesses against them have not been discussed by prosecutors. 

The Associated Press reported earlier this month that one inmate who was indicted has pleaded guilty and will testify against those charged.

That inmate, Royal Downs, is serving a life sentence for murder. He entered a guilty plea in December, a plea that was kept secret until it was included as a docket entry in his case file earlier this month, the Associated Press reported. 

The plea was "quickly" resealed after the Associated Press began asking questions. Linda Carmichael, Superior Court spokeswoman and legal counsel, did not reply to an inquiry from The News Journal regarding the reported plea. 

Secrecy has been a theme of the pretrial maneuvers by prosecutors and court staff in this case. Public defenders charged with representing the men criticized prosecutors for withholding information late last month. 

Downs, who has been labeled by other defendants as a "rat" and "snitch," was indicted alongside the other inmates but was one of two not charged with murder. 

It is unclear if Patricia May, the counselor held hostage during the standoff, will testify. In an interview with the Associated Press, she blamed prison officials for the riot. 

“They knew it was going to happen. They did nothing,” she said. “When they put me in that building, they knew they were putting me in a dangerous situation.”

What else might be revealed? 

Prosecutors are more likely to focus on who was responsible for the killing but defendants representing themselves may try to bring the circumstances of the uprising to light with their questioning of witnesses. 

Those issues may include funding for officers, proper protection and prisoner rehabilitation — issues an independent investigation recommended dealing with.

Lawsuits have also raised questions that may or may not play into the trial testimony.  

A federal civil lawsuit, filed and settled last year when the state agreed to pay $7.5 million, alleged Delaware Gov. John Carney overruled the warden's decision to retake Building C about an hour into the siege, delaying Floyd's rescue until the next day when the 16-year Delaware Department of Correction veteran was already dead.

Carney's spokesman has denied the allegation and said the governor relied on law enforcement officials to decide when to enter. 

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.