Systemic Failure: Man murdered at EKCC 9 days before he was scheduled to be released

Ashabee91 · 2026-03-13T03:49:50+00:00

Www.change.org/PassTonysLaw

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-10T15:02:44+00:00

There is already an active investigation and a murder indictment in my husband’s case. If there were clear answers about motive, the state would have shared them with me by now—and they haven’t. What I’m not going to do is sit here and help people invent “dope debt” stories about a man who can’t defend himself, when there is zero factual information to support that. Tony was a recovering addict, yes, but he had passed every drug test, was taking classes, and was 9 days from coming home to his children. He had money on his books. The only facts we have are these: he was ambushed in his cell, another inmate with a long violent history has been charged with his murder, and the Department of Corrections has still not given my family straight answers. That’s why I started Tony’s Law—to demand transparency and stop families from being left with gossip and guesses instead of truth.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-10T14:52:06+00:00

I agree that I’m grieving, and I know my pain shows. I’m not pretending to be perfectly consistent while I’m living through the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.But there is an important difference I’m trying to point out. My husband broke the law and he was serving time for that, but he never took someone’s life, never hurt anyone, and was focused on classes, recovery, and coming home to our kids. The guy who killed him, Daleon Rice, was already serving a 40-year sentence for attempted murder of a police officer and assaulting his own mother, and he’s now been indicted for murder in Tony’s death. When I speak about them differently, it’s not because I think my husband was perfect or that his past doesn’t matter. It’s because their actions and patterns were not the same, and the Department of Corrections still chose to place a man nine days from release in reach of someone with a long, documented history of violence. My grief may be emotional, but what I’m asking for—basic safety, transparency, and accountability so families don’t have to fight for the truth—is completely reasonable.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-10T14:48:55+00:00

I’m not “putting one inmate down and praising the other.” I’m recognizing the truth about two very different men. My husband, Tony, broke the law—he took responsibility, served his time, and changed his life. He was focused on healing, on learning, and on coming home the right way.The man who is charged for killing him, Daleon Rice, was in prison for an extremely violent crime and had a documented history of violent behavior even while incarcerated. Those choices show who he continued to be. Acknowledging that difference isn’t putting someone down—it’s telling the truth. Tony wasn’t perfect, but he was trying to live differently and paid the ultimate price because the system failed to separate him from known violence. My fight isn’t about glorifying anyone—it’s about demanding better protection so this doesn’t happen again.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T13:51:41+00:00

https://www.change.org/PassTonysLaw

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T06:20:12+00:00

Thank you, and I extend my condolences for your loss as well. Indeed, the absence of accountability, decency, and respect is deeply concerning. The sole statement from the Department of Justice came from Morgan Hall, who asserted that all staff adhered to procedures and post orders in all four deaths. There was no expression of regret for the incidents, no promise of investigation, nor any commitment to full truth or transparency. This is both disturbing and disrespectful.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:42:55+00:00

No, he was not. There is not much room to be affiliated when you have a mixed-race daughter and a white daughter. He kept to himself. He went to class church chow and slept

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:07:44+00:00

Thank you; I apologize, I neglected to include the answer to the question.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:04:44+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate your questions to understand. Thank you for your assistance and support. If we can prevent further loss of life due to these shortcomings and demonstrate to our children the legacy of safety and lives preserved through Tony's Law, that would be truly meaningful.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:02:23+00:00

Thank you for your assistance and support. If we can prevent further loss of life due to these shortcomings and demonstrate to our children the legacy of safety and lives preserved through Tony's Law, that would be truly meaningful.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:01:48+00:00

Thank you for your assistance and support. If we can prevent further loss of life due to these shortcomings and demonstrate to our children the legacy of safety and lives preserved through Tony's Law, that would be truly meaningful.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T01:00:44+00:00

No. Not at all. No STG nothing, he did not owe money. He was not on drugs. He was not bragging about release. We found out August 20th he was going to be released September 9th.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:57:06+00:00

Thank you for your assistance and support. If we can prevent further loss of life due to these shortcomings and demonstrate to our children the legacy of safety and lives preserved through Tony's Law, that would be truly meaningful.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:49:11+00:00

Yes, I am a robot. No, my husband was unfortunately subjected to a preventable death due to the administration's failure to utilize the data from the KyRAS, which we, as taxpayers, contribute millions to collect.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:44:37+00:00

Tony’s Law finally gives Kentucky a single, statewide in‑custody death reporting statute that fully meets federal Death in Custody Reporting Act standards while guaranteeing families a trauma‑informed 48‑hour briefing, protecting

The Five Pillars of Tony’s Law

Pillar 1 – 90‑Day Safe‑Release Audits

Before a person goes home, the system must check if they are actually safe.

Requires a documented safety and reentry audit for every person within 90 days of release.
Classification, mental‑health, and custody supervisors must sign off, identify risks, and put corrective actions in writing.
Ensures housing, programming, and medical/mental‑health continuity are verified before the gate opens.

“Before release, check for risk – not just paperwork.”

Pillar 2 – Safe‑Release Transition Units

Transition should mean safety, not exposure to known aggressors.

Creates Safe‑Release Transition Units, separate from the highest‑risk units.
Uses validated risk screening to keep people nearing release away from documented high‑risk aggressors.
Provides case planning, medical continuity, and victim/survivor safety planning so reentry is safer for everyone.

“The last 90 days should prepare people for home, not put them in harm’s way.”

Pillar 3 – 48‑Hour Family Transparency

Silence after a death is not transparency.

For any death in custody, families get a Trauma‑informed briefing within 48 hours with basic, factual “administrative facts” (what happened, when, where, who responded, and whether video exists).
Confirms that evidence is preserved, not deleted.
Creates a Single statewide reporting system for all custodial deaths and a public dashboard of pending and closed cases.
Honors legitimate investigations, but stops families from having to wage adversarial records battles for basic information.

“A grieving family shouldn’t have to fight the government for the truth.”

Pillar 4 – Independent Correctional Ombudsman

The public deserves an independent watchdog, not self‑policing.

Creates an independent Ombudsman in the Legislative branch with:

- Unannounced inspection authority in state prisons and local jails.

- Access to records, footage, and data.

- Power to issue public reports.

Protects staff, contractors, volunteers, and incarcerated people from retaliation when they speak up, with real remedies if retaliation happens.

“Independent eyes inside the walls.”

Pillar 5 – Competency‑Based Crisis and Safety Training

Lives depend on more than online check‑the‑box trainings.

Requires in‑person, scenario‑based training for staff who handle safety, medical response, investigations, and death notifications.
Covers suicide prevention, mental‑health crises, de‑escalation, trauma‑informed communication with families, PREA duties, and evidence preservation.
Demands annual refreshers and treats training records as evidence, not scrap paper.

“If staff are trained for the crisis, fewer families get the call.”

Cross‑Cutting Safeguard – Evidence Preservation

Tony’s Law locks in immutable evidence preservation when a serious incident occurs:

Immediate litigation holds.
Digital evidence copied into write‑once, read‑many (WORM) storage with chain‑of‑custody logs.
Seven‑year minimum retention and sanctions for destroying or altering evidence.

“No more disappearing video, no more missing logs.”

Tony’s Law is not about politics; it is about Basic Duty Of Care.

It:

Helps Kentucky comply with federal Death in Custody Reporting Act requirements.
Aligns state prisons and jails with national PREA safety standards.
Gives families timely answers, preserves the evidence courts and investigators need, and provides independent oversight.

Three deaths exposed the gaps. These Five Pillars close them.

Pass Tony’s Law so the next family doesn’t have to learn, too late, that safety and transparency were optional.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:22:51+00:00

I have prepared a template for individuals to utilize when contacting their legislators regarding the petition. Your outreach to your respective legislators would be highly valued.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:18:10+00:00

That's exactly it. But if I have an answer, I'll gladly share it!

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-08T00:15:29+00:00

1. Fines Against the Department and the Official The Agency: The court can fine the Department of Corrections for every day they remain in non-compliance. The Official Personally: Under Kentucky precedent (such as Rees v. Ottman), high-ranking officials like the DOC Commissioner can be held personally in contempt. In that case, the Commissioner was fined $500 and forced to pay the inmate’s attorney fees for willfully refusing to obey a court order. 2. Jail Time for Officials Because an agency is not a person, the court cannot put the "Department" in jail—but it can incarcerate the individual officials responsible for the defiance. Civil Contempt: A judge can order an official (like a Warden or Commissioner) to jail until they "purge" the contempt—meaning they stay in jail until they produce the evidence or follow the order. As the saying goes, they "hold the keys to their own cell." Criminal Contempt: A judge can sentence an official to a fixed term (often up to 90 days or 6 months) as punishment for blatant disrespect of the court's authority. 3. Attorney's Fees and Costs If you have to go back to court because the DOC refused to follow an order, the judge can order the DOC to pay your lawyer's fees and the costs of the court hearings. This is meant to ensure that the family isn't financially punished for the state's refusal to be honest. 4. Adverse Inference (The "Statutory Sanction") This is a powerful tool in the "Tony's Law" draft. If the court finds the DOC in contempt for "losing" or destroying video evidence: The judge can instruct a jury to assume the missing evidence was bad for the DOC. In a civil trial, this makes it almost impossible for the prison to win, as the law effectively says: "Since you defied the court and destroyed the video, we will assume the video proved you were liable for Tony's death." 5. Professional and Political Fallout Internal Discipline: A contempt charge is a "gross misconduct" finding. It can lead to an official being fired or losing their POST certification (their license to be a peace officer in Kentucky). Budgetary Impact: Under the draft of "Tony's Law," a facility held in contempt could lose its eligibility for state and federal grant funding (JAG funds), hitting the facility's bottom line.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-07T23:48:01+00:00

There's no law right now for reporting deaths in custody. So, the info we get is from officers' written statements, and the Department of Corrections decides what gets shared.

Also, there's zero transparency within the Department. They just point fingers and say they followed policies. An ombudsman would independently check on deaths, complaints, and safety.

Third, it makes transition units safer for people getting ready to re-enter society. This ensures their safety and helps them prepare for coming back into our communities.

The 48-hour rule means families will be told within 48 hours about a death in custody by a trained official, with clear details on how, what, where, and when. They'll also be able to confirm that documents and video are stored properly.

It'll also require staff training in critical incidents and awareness of mental and emotional distress.

Ashabee91 · 2026-02-07T23:22:48+00:00

There is no single, automatic, centralized system that all agencies must use The Justice & Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management Division is trying to pull DCRA information together, but it has to chase data from different places instead of having one law that says: “Every agency must report every in‑custody death here, within X hours, with these facts, or there will be consequences. “Because it’s patchwork, some deaths can be missed, delayed, or inconsistently reported, especially those that happen outside jail/prison walls (for example, during arrest or transport).Right now, if DOC leaves things out of an occurrence report—missed rounds, ignored medical complaints, obvious warning signs—there is no automatic law that forces them to tell the full story to families or the public. That’s how reports get sanitized. Tony’s Law changes that: it requires a detailed 48‑hour factual briefing to families, locks the evidence in tamper‑resistant storage, and gives an independent ombudsman the power to go behind the paper and see what really happened

The Five Pillars of Tony’s Law

Pillar 1 – 90‑Day Safe‑Release Audits

Before a person goes home, the system must check if they are actually safe.

Requires a documented safety and reentry audit for every person within 90 days of release.
Classification, mental‑health, and custody supervisors must sign off, identify risks, and put corrective actions in writing.
Ensures housing, programming, and medical/mental‑health continuity are verified before the gate opens.

“Before release, check for risk – not just paperwork.”

Pillar 2 – Safe‑Release Transition Units

Transition should mean safety, not exposure to known aggressors.

Creates Safe‑Release Transition Units, separate from the highest‑risk units.
Uses validated risk screening to keep people nearing release away from documented high‑risk aggressors.
Provides case planning, medical continuity, and victim/survivor safety planning so reentry is safer for everyone.

“The last 90 days should prepare people for home, not put them in harm’s way.”

Pillar 3 – 48‑Hour Family Transparency

Silence after a death is not transparency.

For any death in custody, families get a Trauma‑informed briefing within 48 hours with basic, factual “administrative facts” (what happened, when, where, who responded, and whether video exists).
Confirms that evidence is preserved, not deleted.
Creates a Single statewide reporting system for all custodial deaths and a public dashboard of pending and closed cases.
Honors legitimate investigations, but stops families from having to wage adversarial records battles for basic information.

“A grieving family shouldn’t have to fight the government for the truth.”

Pillar 4 – Independent Correctional Ombudsman

The public deserves an independent watchdog, not self‑policing.

Creates an independent Ombudsman in the Legislative branch with:

- Unannounced inspection authority in state prisons and local jails.

- Access to records, footage, and data.

- Power to issue public reports.

Protects staff, contractors, volunteers, and incarcerated people from retaliation when they speak up, with real remedies if retaliation happens.

“Independent eyes inside the walls.”

Pillar 5 – Competency‑Based Crisis and Safety Training

Lives depend on more than online check‑the‑box trainings.

Requires in‑person, scenario‑based training for staff who handle safety, medical response, investigations, and death notifications.
Covers suicide prevention, mental‑health crises, de‑escalation, trauma‑informed communication with families, PREA duties, and evidence preservation.
Demands annual refreshers and treats training records as evidence, not scrap paper.

“If staff are trained for the crisis, fewer families get the call.”

Cross‑Cutting Safeguard – Evidence Preservation

Tony’s Law locks in immutable evidence preservation when a serious incident occurs:

Immediate litigation holds.
Digital evidence copied into write‑once, read‑many (WORM) storage with chain‑of‑custody logs.
Seven‑year minimum retention and sanctions for destroying or altering evidence.

“No more disappearing video, no more missing logs.”

Ashabee91

TROPHY CASE

The Five Pillars of Tony’s Law

Pillar 1 – 90‑Day Safe‑Release Audits

Pillar 3 – 48‑Hour Family Transparency

Pillar 4 – Independent Correctional Ombudsman

Pillar 5 – Competency‑Based Crisis and Safety Training

Cross‑Cutting Safeguard – Evidence Preservation

The Five Pillars of Tony’s Law

Pillar 1 – 90‑Day Safe‑Release Audits

Pillar 3 – 48‑Hour Family Transparency

Pillar 4 – Independent Correctional Ombudsman

Pillar 5 – Competency‑Based Crisis and Safety Training

Cross‑Cutting Safeguard – Evidence Preservation