Prison Guard Convicted in Inmate's Beating Death

A former New York state prison guard was found guilty of murder Monday in the death of an inmate beaten while handcuffed, per the AP. Two other guards were acquitted for their roles in the beating that was caught on body-camera footage.

• A jury delivered the verdicts in a courtroom just miles from the Marcy Correctional Facility, where Robert Brooks was pummeled by correctional officers upon his arrival on the night of Dec. 9. Five guards indicted in February had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Brooks' death.
• David Kingsley, Mathew Galliher, and Nicholas Kieffer were charged with murder and first-degree manslaughter. Kingsley, who rejected a plea deal, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter, while Galliher and Kieffer were acquitted.

• The defendants sat stoically when the verdicts—delivered after more than two full days of deliberations—were read. Supporters in the gallery sobbed when Kieffer was acquitted. A judge immediately revoked Kingsley's bail, and he was led away in handcuffs.
• "Today, the jury made the right decision in finding David Kingsley guilty of murder. While it was hard to see Matthew Galliher and Nicholas Kieffer be given a pass, it highlights the need for systemic change," Brooks' family said in a prepared statement.
• Brooks was beaten three separate times as soon as he arrived at the prison, the last being the fatal beating in the infirmary caught on the body-camera footage, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. The video footage of Brooks in handcuffs being punched, stomped, and lifted by the neck triggered widespread shock and was central to the prosecution's case at trial. The video has no sound, but the guards doling out the punishment and watching it unfold appear unconcerned.
• Brooks suffered a badly broken nose, a black eye, and injuries to the spleen, liver, and groin. Blood leaked into his lungs and stomach, officials said.