08/21/2003

The Associated Press

BEAUMONT, Texas — A Missouri man already in federal prison for a robbery where a bank's president was killed was indicted Thursday for capital murder and could be sentenced to death for fatally beating a fellow inmate.

A federal grand jury returned the charge against Shannon Wayne Agofsky, 32, for the Jan. 5, 2001 beating and kicking death of Luther Plant, 37, of Orange.

Plant was in the eighth year of a 15-year term for arson and firearms violations when he was killed in a recreation area of the federal prison in Beaumont.

Prosecutors said they would request Justice Department approval to seek the death penalty against Agofsky.

"We will not hesitate to see maximum punishment in cases like this," U.S. Attorney Matthew Orwig said.

Conviction carries an automatic life sentence, which Agofsky already was serving for the 1989 robbery of a Noel, Mo., bank where its president Dan Short was killed.

John Stevens, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the capital murder case, said Agofsky would be tried in Beaumont but not for several months.

Agofsky has been moved from Beaumont to a so-called super-maximum federal prison in Florence, Colo.
(ap.state.online.tx 0473 08/21/2003 18:51:33 )

http://www.dallasnews.com/texassouthwest/ap/stories/AP_STATEGS_0473.html



I was not sure if this is the place to put t his sense it is fed prison.

did they say why he killed him? and if hes that nuts he should of been in a mental prison not GP. ktc

i agree KTC.

I haven't seen any explanation as to "why", but I did see that this is the FOURTH murder at the Federal Correction Complex in Beaumont since March 1997.

This is sickening.

Emmy

I'm not encouraging the death of him! But I do encourage the severe punishment of inmates commiting crimes! Expecialy as murder to be punished severly! I think that if it had been a Sex Offender that he wouldn't of got nothing! But at least it's a realisation that inmate against inmates should be punished severly! Since I beleive prisons are run first of all by goverments! And that it should be a place to be rehabilitated into society and not a place of torcher and pain with crimes commited against inmates to inmates and staff to inmates! I hope at least this is a wake up to the goverment to start punishing people and is a wake up to inmates who want to commit crimes against inmates and staff that want to commit crimes against inmates! The UN should support this all the way that inmates that commit crimes inside should be severly punished!

It is already been said that inmates and staff continue to commit crime inside cause they're are rarely any punishment done! This should be done to every single inmate and staff that commit crimes against inmates! Well, maybe not death! But at least relocation with a sever solitary confinement punishment!

I know it might offend some people! But crimes in prison should not happen! If it should not have to happen outside then it should damn well not happen inside! And you'd think with all the close watch and security all these things would be prevented at least! Shame and sickening I tell you!

Steph

People hurting people is a terrible thing no matter where. Or maybe especially where you don't have the option of just getting AWAY from those you dn't like. But isn't it so typical of this whole problem to respond to horror by creating yet more horror? When is the world gonna get into horror reduction?