Four more former Mid-State prison officers sentenced for the death of Messiah Nantwi

Four more former Mid-State correction officers were sentenced Wednesday morning in the March 2025 beating death of Messiah Nantwi, an incarcerated individual at the medium-security state prison.

Oneida County Court Judge Michael Nolan sentenced Caleb Blair, who previously pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, to an 11-year prison sentence.

Joshua Bartlett received a total of three years in jail for his guilty plea to first-degree hindering prosecution and first-degree falsifying business records, along with forceable touching from another case.

Craig Klemick will serve nine months in Oneida County Jail. He had pleaded guilty to offering a false instrument for filing.

Nathan Palmer was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. He had cooperated with the prosecution and served as a key witness in the Jonah Levi trial. 

Levi, who had declined an offer to plead guilty to second-degree murder, received a maximum 25 years in prison at sentencing in May for his conviction on first-degree manslaughter and other charges.

Nantwi, 22, suffered multiple blows to his body and head at the hands of correction officers and died from massive head trauma and other injuries on March 1, 2025, according to an indictment in the case.

There is now one former correction officer left to be sentenced in the case. Thomas Eck, who pleaded guilty to offering a false instrument for filing, will be sentenced early next month.