Still waiting: Guelph, Ont. mother has troubling questions over son’s death in maximum security prison

CTV’S Spencer Turcotte speaks with the mother of Brody Robinson who was found without vital signs in his cell last October.

A Guelph, Ont. mother is still pushing for answers about her son’s death while in prison.

Brody Robinson, 23, was found without vital signs on Oct. 29 at Millhaven Institution, west of Kingston.

Tears fell down Kelly Cox’s face as she held a framed picture of her son when CTV News was at her home on Thursday. She knows it’s the closest she’ll get to holding him again.

“It’s not fair,” she said, through tears.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is leading the investigation, with initial findings deeming his death was the result of foul play.

More than five months later, she says there are no arrests and she is no further along with getting any closure.

“It’s horrible,” Cox said, putting her face in her hands. “I just want answers.”

OPP tells CTV News their joint forces penitentiary squad is overlooking it all.

“The investigation is still ongoing,” said Bill Dickson, media relations coordinator for OPP East Region.

Cox says she shouldn’t have to wait so long.

“I want the people that are responsible to be held accountable for his death. He should be coming home. He’s not,” she said.

To make matters worse, she believes Correctional Service Canada (CSC) made a mistake with returning her son’s belongings from the federal prison he was in.

“The property I got was nothing that says it was Brody’s or even belonged to Brody,” she said.

She showed the box she received, pulling out items like Tide pods, pencils, soap and a fan covered in dirt.

“The letters I sent him, which I sent at least one a week, or even two a week. I made him a big birthday card and I got a bunch of family and friends to sign it for him. I know he wouldn’t have thrown it out,” she said.

As for where they went, Cox believes they were sent to Robinson’s father despite her claim that she was listed as his next of kin.

Now, she worries she’ll never get those sentimental items back because she’s not in contact with his father.

“They probably just threw stuff in a box to make it look like his and give it to me because they already sent everything to his dad,” said Cox.

CSC disputes the idea that any mistakes were made. Regional communications manager for CSC, Mike Shrider, sent a statement to CTV News saying in part, “…upon intake into Federal Corrections, Mr. Robinson had identified two next of kin.”

The statement goes on to say: “We can confirm that CSC followed all protocols with respect to notification and next of kin communication, including re-reviewing the situation when concerns were raised.”

Now, Cox is focused on getting justice for her son, who was convicted of possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking. She doesn’t believe he should have been sent to a maximum security facility.

“I want to make it where there’s a ‘Brody clause’ because he shouldn’t have been put with lifers at all,” she said. “He had a four-year sentence and was put with lifers like murderers, rapists, like he wasn’t any of that. Nowhere near that.”

CSC has also convened a national Board of Investigation for the case, which is underway. CSC does so whenever there is an unnatural death in federal custody.