Overview

• Lt. William Eugene Romero, 33, is charged with criminally negligent homicide and Sgt. Crystal Janelle West, 39, faces a second-degree manslaughter charge.
• The incident occurred at the high-security William P. Clement Unit in Amarillo after an inmate allegedly lit a mattress on fire inside his cell.
• Local reports, citing anonymous sources, allege staff kept the food-slot closed and declined to open the cell despite smoke, with a supervisor labeling the inmate a security risk.
• Staff returned around 3:19 a.m., found the inmate unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
• The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says it is working with the Office of the Inspector General and the Special Prosecution Unit, and both employees are no longer with the agency.