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Inmate charged in death of prisoner at St. Joseph prison

Prison bars
Posted at 11:41 AM, Jun 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-22 12:41:13-04

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — An inmate has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of another prisoner at the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph.

Akwasi Sawyer, 41, was charged last week with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 44-year-old Christopher Balducci.

Court documents allege Sawyer assaulted Balducci and Tyler Breslin, 27, on Oct. 10, 2020, inside the victims' cell, The St. Joseph News-Press reported.

Balducci died about a month later from complications of blunt force trauma he suffered during the beating, according to an autopsy.

Sawyer was serving a 19-year sentence for multiple counts of resisting and interfering with a felony arrest and felony drug possession. He is being held at the Jefferson City Correctional Center.