UPDATED: Roman Shankaras Not Guilty on All Charges in Third Vaughn Prison Riot Trial

Image courtesy DSP

UPDATED  5/23/19  3:20PM  –  The eighth defendant tried in the Vaughn Prison Riot, 32 year old Roman Shankaras, has been found not guilty on all charges.  DOC Commissioner Perry Phelps offered the following statement:

“We thank the members of the jury for their time and service to the State of Delaware. The news is upsetting, but we continue to be appreciative of the Department of Justice and Delaware State Police who diligently worked a complex case.”

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UPDATED 5/23/19 2PM – The jury has informed the court that they have the verdict.

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UPDATED  5/22/19 – The fate of 32 year old Roman Shankaras now sits in the hands of the jury.  Deliberations began Monday and continue today in Wilmington.   Shankaras is charged with 1^st degree murder, 1^st degree assault and 1^st degree kidnap in connection with the 2017 prison riot at Vaughn Correctional Center, which left correctional officer Lt. Steven Floyd dead.

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UPDATED  5/6/19 – The third trial in the Vaughn Prison Riot is now underway in Wilmington.  32 year old Roman Shankaras is the only defendant in this trial.  He faces charges of 1^st degree murder, 1^st degree assault and 1^st degree kidnap in connection with the 2017 prison riot at Vaughn Correctional Center, which left correctional officer Lt. Steven Floyd dead.  The trial is expected to last about three weeks before Judge William Carpenter.  Two more defendants, Lawrence Michaels and Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz, are scheduled to be tried in October.

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UPDATED – 5/4/19 – The third trial in the Vaughn Prison Riot will begin this week in Wilmington.  Jury selection began last week and should wrap up on Monday.  After trying multiple defendants in the first two trial, 32 year old Roman Shankaras is the lone defendant being tried this time.  He faces charges of 1^st degree murder, 1^st degree assault and 1^st degree kidnap in connection with the 2017 prison riot at Vaughn Correctional Center, which left correctional officer Lt. Steven Floyd dead.  The trial is expected to last three weeks before Judge William Carpenter.  Two more defendants, Lawrence Michaels and Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz, are scheduled to be tried in October.

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Jury selection for the third Vaughn prison riot trial begins on Monday in Wilmington.  Just one defendant is being tried – Roman Shankaras, who is charged with 1^st degree murder, 1^st degree assault and 1^st degree kidnap in connection with the prison riot in February of 2017 that ended with the death of correctional officer, Lt. Steven Floyd.  After the first trial, only one inmate has been found guilty in the 1^st degree murder of Floyd and a second inmate was found guilty of riot, kidnapping, assault and conspiracy.  There were no convictions in the second trial.  Shankaras will be the only defendant in the upcoming third trial, which is set to begin on May 6^th.   Lawrence Michaels and Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz will go on trial in October.