Reported by Eve Tannery
DOVER -- Candidates for Delaware's gubernatorial race weigh in on the investigation into the hostage situation at the Department of Correction. About two months ago, an inmate took a counselor hostage during a seven-hour standoff.
WBOC spoke with gubernatorial candidates, and found out they have different opinions on what it will take to find out what really happened at the prison. All of the republican and independent candidates disagree with Governor Minner on what should be done.
The Delaware State Police and the Attorney General's office have investigated the incident. And right now, the D.O.C is in the middle of their own internal investigation. But this is where opinions of candidates clash - should the D.O.C be investigating themselves?
Governor Minner told us yesterday that she's pleased with how the three investigations are going so far. She says her opinion hasn't changed today.
"We said after we've looked at the report we will decide then what we need to do. It isn't just the department of correction investigating itself. State Police have looked at it, now the Attorney General has looked at it," said Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D).
Republican and independent candidates for governor say it's not enough. Those candidates think an independent investigation is a must.
"I always thought an independent investigation was needed," said Republican candidate Bill Lee. "There are just too many loose ends. There have been too many different stories," he said.
"Anytime the government investigates itself there's always the question of, 'How accurate is this? Is it politics talking or is it the truth?,'" said Republican candidate Mike Protack. "I think we need to go outside of it. There's a whole lot of baggage in the D.O.C right now," he said.
"I think it's not only needed in this case, but as a matter of policy," said Republican candidate David Graham. "Whenever you have a serious situation occur behind closed walls of a prison involving safety, you should move forward immediately with an outside investigation," he said.
"It sound be done immediately," said Independent candidate Frank Infante. "Unfortunately, it wouldn't have been necessary had the administration acted properly in the first place."
The counselor in this case was taken hostage and raped at the Delaware Correctional Center. It happened on July 12th, and eventually ended when a sharpshooter shot the inmate Scott Miller dead.
