Two Essex County jail inmates have been convicted of attempted murder for brutally beating another inmate, Jayshawn Boyd, with a microwave oven and other items.
A third inmate was found guilty of attacking Boyd with additional weapons.
The incident occurred in September 2021 and left Boyd with a traumatic brain injury.
The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Ronald D. Wigler, lasted two weeks and the jury found inmates Byad Lockett and Darryl Watson guilty of multiple crimes, including first-degree attempted murder and second-degree aggravated assault.
During the attack, seven inmates assaulted Boyd in the common area of the jail, beating him unconscious by punching him in the face and stomping on his head.
Lockett and Watson then struck Boyd in the head multiple times with a microwave oven, a multi-gallon beverage dispenser, and a broom. Watson also threw a water cooler and a trash can at Boyd’s head.
Isaad Jackson, the third inmate involved, threw a mop bucket full of water and a multi-gallon beverage dispenser at Boyd’s head.
Video surveillance captured the entire incident, which lasted approximately two minutes. The attack was described as utterly senseless, as Boyd was already unconscious from the initial assault.
The injuries inflicted by Lockett, Watson, and Jackson have permanently impaired Boyd.
The medical personnel who saved his life and the individuals who testified during the trial were acknowledged for their efforts.
The sentencing for Lockett and Watson is scheduled for September 6, 2023, while Watson is set to be sentenced on June 27, 2023, for a separate murder conviction.
Lockett is currently serving a 12-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison for conspiracy to commit murder, and Jackson faces a pending homicide charge. The State intends to seek a sentence for the jail attack that runs consecutively to the other charges and sentences.
Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II expressed his hope that the verdict would bring justice to the Boyd family. He highlighted that jails and prisons should ensure the minimum of life, health, and safety issues for inmates and staff.
The disturbing video of the attack has raised questions about the jail’s response, with claims of negligence and improper training by the Essex County Department of Corrections.
Seven inmates, including Lockett, Watson, and Jackson, were involved in the assault.
Boyd, who suffers from schizophrenia, had been in custody at the jail since September 9, 2021, and was attacked shortly after being housed in a designated gang unit.