Miss the ‘Lockup’ episode filmed in Wichita? Recap, right here

The first episode of “Lockup: Wichita, KS Extended Stay” aired on MSNBC on Saturday night, and it was pretty riveting television.

Not only did it provide a look at life behind the tiny rows of windows in the Sedgwick County Jail, but it also introduced several interesting characters who reside and work there.

The prison documentary was filmed inside the Sedgwick County Jail from September to October of 2015. The next episode is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Saturday and will rerun at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Here’s more information on the real Wichita people featured in episode one:

The story of Antonio Bell: Much of the first episode focused on Antonio Bell, an inmate at the jail who was facing trial on a second-degree murder charge in the death of Deandre Freeman Jr., whose body was found in a ditch near Kechi in December 2013. The show portrayed Bell as an inmate who did his best to stay busy in the jail, even joining the jail church choir, where he would passionately sing praise hymnals with other inmates. Bell, 24, died in the jail in January 2016, not long after filming wrapped up. An autopsy later showed he died from asthma.

One gruesome fight: The episode also heavily focused on a prison fight Bell was involved in, which resulted in an aggravated battery charge on top of his second-degree murder charge. The show obtained footage of the November 2015 fight, in which Bell savagely attacks a fellow inmate, Antonio Cooper, later saying he had spit on him during a disagreement about a football game. The footage shows the beaten inmate bleeding on the ground. The fight scene, which was aired repeatedly, also shows Deputy Dean Epley staying at his post while the fight intensifies. The narrator explained that it is policy for the guard to not intervene and to wait for backup, which arrived just after the fight ended. And Cpl. Fabiola Torres also is featured, wearing a body camera and catching some of the footage.

The beaten inmate declined to press charges against Bell, telling the camera crew that snitching is considered bad form in prison. But Sedgwick County sheriff’s detective Jeremy Noel investigated the incident and filed charges anyway.

Introducing Pastor Tina: One of the breakout stars of the episode was pastor Tina Gilmore, who works as the lead chaplain at Wichita’s Christian Ministry to Offenders Inc. The episode showed Gilmore leading a worship service with several inmates and also directing them, from behind an electric keyboard, in a choir that she started. Gilmore, warm and personable, is shown at the end trying to counsel Bell after his fight, suggesting he apologize to the inmate he beat up. Bell’s not interested, but he also didn’t want to disappoint “Pastor Tina.”

A lesson about South Broadway: The other inmate featured in the episode is Scot Bacon, who is accused of giving a 17-year-old girl a ride to a South Broadway motel on two consecutive nights, where she prostituted herself. Soft-spoken Bacon insists that he was just trying to protect the girl, but the jury doesn’t buy it. He was convicted in September 2015 of commercial sexual exploitation of a child and given a prison sentence of eight years. South Broadway’s image, already pretty poor, does not fare well in this storyline.

A dogged defense attorney: Another interesting star of Saturday’s episode was Lawrence-based defense attorney Sarah Swain, who was hired by Bacon’s mother, using money from an inheritance, to defend her son just a few days before his trial was scheduled to start. Swain, who also defended the Garden City mother who faced marijuana charges, came across as no-nonsense, smart and colorful, especially her wardrobe. Though Bacon was still sentenced to eight years, Swain pointed out that his sentence was 20 months shorter than the plea deal he almost agreed to. And, according to the show, she agreed to represent Bacon during his appeal at no charge. Deputy District Attorney Justin Edwards is shown prosecuting the case.

Judge Bruce Brown: A well-known Wichita judge also made an appearance in the episode, displaying the even demeanor he’s known for around the courthouse. When sentencing Bacon, Brown sincerely advised him to use his time in jail to better himself and assured him he was worth more than his actions demonstrated.

This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Miss the ‘Lockup’ episode filmed in Wichita? Recap, right here."