Green Haven Correctional Facility - Correction Officers' Death

Correction Officers' Death

There have been at least two deaths of correction officers in the line of duty.

The first was of Donna Payant on May 15, 1981 who disappeared while working at the prison and was later found in a garbage dump 20 miles away, sexually violated and strangled to death. The condition of her body was similar to that of victims of serial killer Lemuel Smith who was an inmate at the prison. A bite mark on Payant's chest also matched the teeth pattern of Smith. It was determained that Smith had sexually assaulted and strangled Payant in the prison chaplain's office before putting her in a trash bag and throwing her body out with the trash.

On January 31, 2007, a Correction Officer in Tower One was found dead due to an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Fire and police were dispatched around 10:30 p.m., when they found the hatch to the ladder blocked, they used a Beekman Fire Department ladder truck to break in and get access. The tower was closed for investigation, and the death was deemed a suicide.

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