Dinwiddie County, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - The seven Henrico Sheriff's Deputies charged with second-degree murder following the death of Irvo Otieno on March 6 had their first court appearance on Wednesday morning.
Appearing in the courtroom via video call, only two deputies had already hired representation. Those two, Jermaine Branch and Bradley Disse, were granted bond, but in the process Ann Baskervill, the Dinwiddie Commonwealth Attorney, revealed several new details about the prosecution's case. The Commonwealth Attorney alleged that, based on footage obtained from Central State Hospital yet to be shared with the court, Otieno wasn't being combative, and the seven deputies "smothered him to death" by "applying head to toe pressure" for "no less than 12 minutes."
The defense suggested that two injections given by Central State Hospital staff might have been to blame. Baskervill, however, asserted her belief that Otieno was "already dead" by the time he received the injections. The other deputies remain in jail without bond.