Former St. Louis prosecutor admits to covering up officer’s assault of

A former St. Louis prosecutor has pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony for covering up the vicious beating of a handcuffed suspect by a veteran St. Louis cop, according to a report from The Huffington Post.

Worrell admitted that she failed to notify authorities that on July 22, 2014, police officers assaulted an arrestee in their custody, and that she took an affirmative step to hide the felony. She also admitted to helping file a false charge against the suspect.

U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey said in court he rarely comments during plea hearings, but couldn’t help but call Worrell’s scheme “most distasteful” and said the 28-year-old left a “black mark on a very venerable officer”. She now faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Here’s the back story: Worrell had been an assistant circuit attorney in Jennifer Joyce’s office for nearly a year – from August 2013 to July 2014 – when she developed a friendship with a veteran police officer.

The plea agreement says Worrell first heard about the incident the night it happened, when the veteran officer called her at a Cardinals game. Waller had been arrested by another officer and was accused of using Carroll’s daughter’s credit card, which had been taken during a vehicle break-in. That night, he said he had injured his foot; the next day she realized he had been hurt while assaulting Waller. He said he might not be able to train for a marathon the two planned to run together.

The officer said Waller had tried resisting arresting and running from custody, and the assault started moments after he arrived at the station. Worrell has agreed to cooperate with investigators and provide truthful testimony “against other individuals”, Justice Department civil rights prosecutor Fara Gold said in court. Joyce told the paper that a few colleagues who were aware of Worrell’s actions and did not act appropriately have left the office.

In the plea, Worrell says that she did not intend to bring any charges against the suspect in the incident, but that she was present when the arresting officer showed up at the warrant office and made a decision to help a new prosecutor file charges against the suspect. Stuck in jail, Waller would later leave a voice mail for his brother, alleging he’d been beaten so badly that internal affairs was looking into the case.

After the conversation, Worrell met the arresting officer who confirmed that M.W. was found with stolen credit cards, and the suspect, identified only as W.M had resisted arrest and attempted to flee. The plea doesn’t name the officer, but officials said Worrell had a close relationship with him.

According to the plea, Worrell and the veteran officer frequently “communicated and texted each other” and “often” confided in one another.

Prosecutors dismissed the escape charge against Waller, who is white, four days later – the same day that Worrell and Katherine Dierdorf, a prosecutor for only five months and the daughter of former National Football League player and broadcaster Dan Dierdorf, both resigned.

Worrell, the daughter-in-law of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Todd Worrell, has agreed to testify against others who may be involved in the cover-up.