Jury recommends death sentence for man charged in Pasquotank jail escape attempt

On Wednesday, a Pasquotank County jury recommended four death sentences for Jonathan Michael Monk from a failed escape attempt at Pasquotank Correctional Institution in October 2017.

Monk was charged in the murders of PCI employees Veronica Darden, Justin Smith, Geoffrey Howe and Wendy Shannon, who all died in the attempt.

Eight other prison employees and four inmates were injured during the incident.

Mikel Brady and Wisezah Buchman were previously sentenced to death in the murders. Seth Frazier, who was also involved, has a trial set for April.

The defendant was sentenced by Judge Jeffery B. Foster.

Under North Carolina law, a jury in a capital murder trial recommends either a sentence of death, or life without the possibility of parole, based on their review of the facts and the law. The Judge is required to accept the jury’s recommendation.