BUCKEYE, Ariz. — The inmate who attacked a corrections officer inside Arizona's Lewis prison has been indicted on three felony charges, and a leaked internal email sent by top officials is raising new questions about how the state is responding to a surge of violence.
Martin Franco was indicted Sept. 3, 2026 on three counts of aggravated assault for the July 28 attack inside the Morey Unit at the Lewis prison complex. Franco sucker-punched and beat the officer for more than three minutes.
Leaked video obtained by ABC15 shows the officer had no partner, no backup, and no one monitoring from a control room.
The case was submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Aug. 27 — the day after ABC15 informed prison officials that the station had obtained leaked video of the attack and a story was coming.
State prison officials say the timing of the referral had nothing to do with ABC15's reporting.
The timeline:
- July 28, 2026 — The assault occurs just after 8 p.m. inside the Morey Unit at Lewis Prison.
- Aug. 26, 2026 — ABC15 contacts prison officials, informing them that the station had obtained leaked video of the assault and a story was coming.
- Aug. 27, 2026 — The Arizona Department of Corrections submits the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
- Sept. 3, 2026 — Franco is indicted.
ABC15 has also obtained a leaked internal email sent Sept. 23 from Robert Windrey, Deputy Chief of Prisons, that is raising new questions about the state's safety protocols.
It states, “Per Deputy Director Barcello, effective immediately, there will be zero tolerance for staff assaults resulting in injury and incidents involving multiple inmates assaulting a single inmate.”
ABC15 asked the state whether that means there had previously been a tolerance for those types of attacks. In an emailed response, the department wrote, “ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell takes all incidents involving staff very seriously. ADCRR has always had zero tolerance for violence in its prisons.”
The email also outlined new expectations for prison leadership after incidents occur.
"When these incidents occur... Complex leadership will be expected to assess the incident and develop an action plan addressing ongoing concerns and identifying measures to reduce violence and prevent further incidents," the email said.
ABC15 asked the state whether the directive implied those assessments and action plans were not already in place. But the state did not directly answer that question.
Statistics show violence has risen significantly inside Arizona's prisons in recent years.
Dr. Ryan Thornell has declined interview requests regarding this case.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and based on broadcast and digital reports written by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com).
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