Two St. Bernard prison guards sentenced in case of inmate who died after being held 10 days without medication
Deputies repeatedly denied Henry proper medical attention despite her pleas for help and dire warnings from other inmates.
Author: Mike Perlstein / Eyewitness Investigator
Published: 6:37 PM CST March 10, 2021
Updated: 6:37 PM CST March 10, 2021
Debra Becnel, 60, was sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about failing to adequately report the grave medical condition of Nimali Henry. Henry, 19, died of a rare but treatable blood disorder inside an isolation cell inside the jail on April 1, 2014.
Lisa Vaccarella, 58, was sentenced to 21 months after pleading to lying to the FBI and misprision, or concealing a felony. In her plea agreement documents, Vaccarella admitted that she “observed Henry in the isolation cell, lying unclothed face-down on the floor, breathing heavily.”