Overview
- Sgt. Jennifer Penton and Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, arraigned Thursday in Worcester Superior Court, pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance with no-contact conditions.
- Prosecutors say staff allowed Enrique Delgado-Garcia to box after he showed concussion signs from an unauthorized sparring session, then he suffered a massive brain bleed during a match the next morning and died a day later.
- All three face involuntary manslaughter and serious bodily injury charges, and Penton also faces a perjury count for alleged false grand jury testimony.
- A fourth instructor, Trooper Casey LaMonte, is scheduled for arraignment on April 14, and the case is set for a June 16 pretrial conference.
- The State Police have halted boxing at the academy, signaled a shift to jiu-jitsu, and await an outside review of their boot-camp model, while the AP notes criminal charges in recruit deaths are rare and the family continues to press for accountability.