There are shocking revelations in today’s Sunday News that Ex-US marine prison officer Jason Palmer may have died as a result of a gang ordered hit at Springhill prison in the Waitkato, what’s more the paper says that a source has told them that the corrections department knew of the threat to the officer three weeks before he died.

Latu Savelio Kepu, the man who killed Mr Palmer, is said to have links to the Killer Beez gang. He punched Mr Palmer in the head as he was moved out of his cell.

The Sunday News stated:

“…Former US Marine Palmer had laid several misconduct charges against Kepu, including one the day before the deadly attack, the source said. That final charge – for stealing from another inmate’s cell – was enough for Kepu to be transferred to Auckland’s maximum security prison at Paremoremo.

The source said an outline of the threat was contained on Kepu’s prison file, details of which have been circulated around the prison in recent weeks between concerned guards.

What that [the threat note on the file] does is put a hell of a lot of fear into other guards working there, that they could be targeted and that management might know about it [threats] and not do anything about it,” the source said. “The Killer Beez had approved for Kepu to go ahead and deal to Palmer. I do believe it [Palmer’s death] could have been avoided…” read the full report here

In June we wrote about Jason’s mother Ada who was said to be furious that Kepu was only charged with manslaughter, she vowed to write to John Key and call for changes in prison procedures to protect other officers, many of whom feel poorly equipped to deal with violent prisoners. Read A Prison Officer’s Thoughts.

This latest news is likely to add further to the grief of Mr Palmer’s families, in both New Zealand and the states. Our thoughts are with them at this time.

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