CHARGED: 42-year-old Columbia Correctional Institution inmate accused of killing his cellmate
PORTAGE (WITI) -- Criminal charges have been filed in connection with the death of an inmate that occurred at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage on February 12th.
Jerome Scott
42-year-old Dexter Ewing has been criminally charged in connection with the death of 40-year-old Jerome Scott. Ewing and Scott were cellmates.
Ewing has been charged with first degree intentional homicide as a persistent repeater. The charge carries a penalty of life in prison with no possibility of extended supervision.
The criminal complaint indicates Scott's body was found in a cell on February 12th. An autopsy was performed on February 13th, and that autopsy determined Scott's cause of death to be ligature strangulation. Scott's death was ruled a homicide.
Detectives met with Ewing, who told them he and Scott had been cellmates for about two weeks. A few days prior to February 12th, both Ewing and Scott were in their cell when Scott told Ewing to stop pacing -- grabbing a pen and threatening Ewing, according to the complaint. Scott eventually put the pen down, and Ewing told detectives he told Scott "to never do that again."
Dexter Ewing
On February 12th, Ewing told detectives he and Scott were in their cell when Scott told Ewing to move his feet -- kicking his feet, which were hanging over the bunk. Scott then jumped up and grabbed the pen again -- saying "I'm not scared of you," according to the complaint. That's when Ewing told the detectives he decided he was going to kill Scott.
It was shortly before 2:30 p.m. on February 12th when Ewing told detectives he looked out the window before walking over to Scott's bunk. He covered the window of the cell with paper they use for privacy, and then, Ewing told the detectives he pulled a shank from his waistline, pushed it up to Scott's neck and said "I will kill you." Ewing told Scott to get off the bed, and he then tied Scott's hands behind his back using a bed sheet, the complaint says.
Once Scott's hands were tied, Ewing told the detectives he grabbed a cord out of his locker and put it around Scott's neck -- pulling.
Ewing told the detectives it took longer than he expected to kill Scott, and that he "continued to strangle Scott until he was sure Scott was dead."
The complaint indicates Ewing untied Scott, rolled him over, wiped off the cord, and removed the cover from the cell's window. Shortly thereafter, it was recreation time, and when Ewing left his cell, he approached a correctional officer and told that officer Scott was on the floor in his cell. Officers responded and found Scott dead.
Ewing told the detectives Scott "made a mistake when he picked up that pen again," and that "he would kill Scott again if somehow Scott came back to life," according to the complaint.
Ewing will make his initial appearance in court in this case on March 6th.
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Dexter Ewing was previously convicted of first degree intentional homicide (in October 2008) and felony murder, armed robbery as party to a crime (in March 2014).
In the 2008 case, Ewing was convicted in the death of Jo Mosley. Police found Mosley on April 25th, 2008 bleeding from the face in the 5700 block of N. 41st Street. She was taken to Froedtert Hospital, where she was pronounced dead after suffering sungshot wounds to her neck and facial region.
The criminal complaint in this case says police spoke with a witness, who reported seeing Mosley's vehicle pull up to her home. Mosley and a man entered her home, and about 15 minutes later, the man exited her home and entered her vehicle -- driving away.
Mosley's vehicle was discovered later on April 25th in the 5800 block of N. 68th Street -- one-and-a-half blocks away from Dexter Ewing's home.
Police spoke with Ewing's estranged wife, who reported observing Ewing get into Mosley's vehicle and drive away from her home on April 25th. Ewing's estranged wife's son told police what Ewing was wearing, and his description matched that of the description police got from the witness of the man seen leaving Mosley's home in her vehicle.
Police spoke with a woman who reported Ewing came to her home on April 25th with a child's backpack that he said he needed to hide in her basement. Police recovered that backpack, and inside, they found a purse with a payroll check in the name of Jo Mosley, along with other identifiers. This backpack was placed in this basement about an hour after Mosley was found suffering from gunshot wounds, police say.
A woman who used to date Ewing's cousin told police that on April 28th she got a phone call from Ewing asking if she wanted to "kick it" with him. He stayed the night at her apartment, and the next morning, she says Ewing told her he was wanted by the police. That's when she told Ewing he needed to leave her apartment and take care of his problems.
This woman has two young children, including a seven-week-old infant who were in the residence at the time.
The complaint indicates Ewing looked out the window and saw a police officer in the woman's yard. That's when Ewing is accused of grabbing the woman -- saying she wasn't going anywhere.
Police entered the residence and demanded Ewing come out. Ewing is accused of telling police he would hurt the infant, and the woman told police she also feared she would be hurt, according to the complaint.
Ewing and the woman were inside the apartment for three-and-a-half hours. Eventually, the woman was released from the apartment, and Ewing gave himself up to police.
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