A New York Department of Corrections officer has been charged after letting a man hang himself in jail on her watch. Captain Rebecca Hillman turned herself in to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Monday, April 26. According to reports, she pleaded not guilty to the incident, where she let an inmate commit suicide in November 2020.
She was indicted on felony charges after being caught on video refusing to take Ryan Wilson's threats seriously. Even after Wilson hung himself, Hillman refused to call for help and let him hang till he died. Despite not being eligible for bail, Hillman was released by the court. She has also been suspended from the New York City's Department of Corrections (DoC). Here's everything we know about Hillman and the shocking death of Wilson she refused to act on.
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Who is Rebecca Hillman?
Prior to being fired, Hillman was a DoC Captain assigned to the Manhattan Detention Complex, also known as 'The Tombs'. Not much else is known about the 38-year-old. We couldn't find a Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram profile associated with her. According to GovSalaries, she earned approximately $117,961 in 2019 and $110,079 in 2020.
There are also no other press reports featuring Hillman, so we have to assume this is the first time she is in the public eye. She appeared in court wearing a hood, baseball cap, dark glasses and a mask. She was also warned by the judge to not miss any of her court dates or risk pretrial incarceration NY Daily News reported. She is scheduled to appear in court next on July 28.
Hillman is also technically still an employee of the state, a status Wilson's family are hoping to change at the earliest. She currently remains suspended without pay by the Department, after initially receiving a 28-day suspension in November 2020. If convicted, she could face up to four years in prison.
Why has she been indicted?
Please note, the following contains graphic details that may not be suitable for all readers.
On October 27, 2020 Wilson was arrested on robbery charges. He was on parole hold when on November 22 he killed himself after being moved due to an argument with another inmate. Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran told the court, "Mr. Wilson fashioned a noose out of a bed sheet and attached it to a light. He then called over an officer, climbed on a stool … and threatened to hang himself if the defendant didn’t let him out of his cell."
The officer (who has not been named) tried to get Wilson to calm down and alerted Hillman. Correction Officer Oscar Rojo responded to Wilson's threats, begging him not to go through but a few minutes later Wilson jumped off his bed, with the noose around his neck. Rojo was about to enter Wilson's cell to cut him down when Hillman responded "that Mr. Wilson was fine and was, quote, ‘playing’ and that she would take care of it," according to Yoran.
Hillman then ordered to cell to be locked while Wilson was still hanging, 15 minutes later, she opened the door and called for medical aide, but it was too late. Apart from letting Wilson die, Hillman was also indicted for lying on the incident report. According to the report she filed, Hillman called for Wilson to be cut down "immediately".
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