Syracuse, New York. According to a family attorney, the death of inmate Robert L. Brooks, who was viciously beaten by many New York state prisons officials, has been declared a homicide.
In a statement sent Tuesday night tosyracuse.com| The Post-Standard, Brooks family lawyer Elizabeth Mazur affirmed the autopsy’s conclusions.
According to Mazur, Robert Brooks’ violent death was a homicide, and the autopsy report supports this conclusion.
According to Mazur, the report also revealed that Brooks’ repeated blunt-impact injuries and neck compression were the cause of his death.
The Albany Times Union reports that a grand jury will start considering the case next week.
Brooks, 43, sustained severe bruises, a broken nose bone, and bleeding in his neck and genitalia, according to an autopsy performed by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office on December 11.
According to court documents obtained by Syracuse.com, the autopsy revealed issues regarding hypoxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being caused by the actions of another.
On December 9, Brooks was repeatedly punched and kicked in the groin, abdomen, face, and back by several prison officials in the Marcy Correctional Facility’s hospital. After being left bleeding, he passed away at a Utica hospital a few hours later.
Four of the guards wore body cameras, which captured the beating on camera. Although none of them had activated their cameras, a passive 30-minute video recording without sound was made.
Brooks is shown being punched and pushed back on an examination table in the infirmary by two guards. Another guard is seen encircling Brooks’ neck with both his left and right hands before violently yanking him away from the table.
Brooks is seen laying on the examination table, naked save for his underwear, following the beating.
The death of Brooks is being looked into by a number of federal and state entities.
William Fitzpatrick, the district attorney for Onondaga County, was named a special prosecutor in the case last month and is currently leading a criminal investigation into the beating.
Fitzpatrick has stated that until a grand jury has decided on potential charges, he will not comment on the case. There are no charges pending.
Fitzpatrick stated Tuesday night that his investigation team was making excellent progress. We’ll be able to comment shortly.
The Brooks family filed a complaint in federal court last month, alleging that state officials are in charge of a jail system that is gravely flawed and brutalizes inmates.
Originally from Greece, Brooks was convicted of first-degree assault in 2017 and given a 12-year jail sentence in Monroe County. According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, he was taken into custody after repeatedly stabbing his partner.
According to records, Brooks had been detained at the Mohawk Correctional Facility before being transferred to the Marcy prison on the day of the attack. An investigator for the state prison system testified that he had been moved for his protection because he had gotten into fights with other prisoners.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice are investigating the death. Numerous state authorities have also launched investigations, including the Commission of Corrections, the State Police, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. According to a spokeswoman, the state Education Department, which grants licenses to nurses and other professionals, was aware of the issue.
In the weeks following the beating, Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Marcy jail and appointed a new, permanent superintendent. She also unveiled other plans to enhance the state jail system as a whole.
The governor has ordered the termination of all public personnel who were involved in the beating. 14 employees were first recognized by state officials, and then four more were added. Since then, two of the staff members have quit.
The Marcy jail is accused of having a beat-up squad, and some correctional personnel are defendants in lawsuits alleging additional abuses against detainees.
Approximately seven miles west of Utica, in Oneida County, sits the medium-security prison. According to data, it held 830 prisoners as of January 1.
The Correctional Association of New York, an independent monitoring organization, has previously noted problems at the institution.
In the fall of 2022, the group conducted interviews with over 100 prisoners, who alleged widespread mistreatment by staff members. According to the group’s findings, there was a widespread culture of fear and reprisal.
Pictured on December 31, 2024, is Marcy Correctional Facility.Mark DiOrio | Photo contribution
More on death of inmate at Marcy prison
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Death of inmate Robert Brooks, who was beaten by New York prison guards, ruled a homicide
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Robert Brooks was transferred to a Marcy prison for his safety. He died after guards beat him there
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Hochul seeks $400 million to expedite installation of surveillance cameras in all NY prisons
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Family of Marcy inmate Robert Brooks: They gave him a death sentence and that s just not fair
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Family of Robert Brooks, inmate who died after beating by guards, files wrongful death suit
Timia Cobb, a staff writer, provided reporting.
Jon Moss, a staff writer, writes on public safety, crime, and breaking news. His email addresses are [email protected] and @mossjon7.
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