Tory releases parents’ letter to justice minister seeking information on son’s beating death in Brandon jail

HOURS after he returned to custody at the Brandon Correctional Centre, a trio of inmates targeted 44-year-old Collin Kempthorne in a vicious beating that left him “unrecognizable from the injuries” and comatose for weeks until his death.

Three months later, one of the men charged in the attack was accused of killing another cellmate in a second assault, raising alarm over inmate safety.

New details surrounding Kempthorne’s death emerged Monday, when Brandon West MLA and Opposition justice critic Wayne Balcaen tabled a letter written by Kempthorne’s parents, during question period at the Manitoba legislature.

The letter, dated March 17 and signed by Joyce Barwick and Darrell Kempthorne, asked Justice Minister Matt Wiebe for more information about their son’s death, including questions about whether appropriate safeguards were in place to protect him.

“The message that it sends is of grave concern,” Balcaen told the Free Press Tuesday. “Where is the safety plan under this NDP government to ensure… offenders are protected while they’re serving time?”

Court records show Kempthorne was held at the medium-security jail in Brandon for allegedly breaching a no-contact order involving his former partner. He was granted bail on Sept. 24, 2024, but was back in custody two days later.

According to his parents’ letter, Kempthorne was assaulted by three inmates around 10 p.m. on Sept. 26. He was taken to the Brandon Regional Hospital and then airlifted to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

“When we first visited Collin after the attack, it was life-changing, his face was unrecognizable from the injuries,” the letter said.

He remained in a coma until Oct. 24, when he regained consciousness and it became clear “there was little to no brain activity, and he would never have any quality of life.”

Kempthorne had three daughters, ages nine, 11 and 17 at the time of the attack, the letter said.

Court records show Kempthorne had been before the court on charges including theft, assault, driving offences and failing to comply with court orders dating back to 2003.

He died on Nov. 11.

Two men were charged with second-degree murder and another was charged with manslaughter.

“(Kempthorne’s middle child) is taking the situation particularly hard and is struggling to get to school on a regular basis,” the letter said.

“This is all a result of our son being assaulted and dying while in the protection and care of your institution.”

The letter identifies one of the accused charged with second-degree murder as Jarrod Lloyd Paul, 27.

Weeks after Kempthorne died, on Dec. 29, Paul was accused of beating a 23-year-old inmate who died of his injuries. Paul was later charged with first-degree murder.

At the time of both slayings, Paul was in remand custody at the Brandon jail for stabbing 46-year-old Robert Hall to death outside a Brandon hotel in August 2023.

An agreed statement of facts provided to court in February says Paul stabbed Hall once in the abdomen, believing Hall had stolen his belongings days earlier. Court heard both Paul and Hall had been homeless.

Paul, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, had been consuming alcohol and methamphetamine daily and had little memory of the attack, defence lawyer Jessie Brar told court.

Paul is now in custody at Stony Mountain Institution, where he was transferred to serve a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the stabbing.

The letter from Kempthorne’s parents said they were compelled to reach out to the justice minister after learning Paul was accused in the 23-year-old’s death.

They asked the justice minister to confirm where Kempthorne was being held inside the Brandon jail when he was attacked, and how long it took correctional officers to intervene.

The justice department declined to comment on Kempthorne’s death, and the subsequent slaying of the 23-year-old, in a statement to the Free Press on Tuesday.

“Given there is a divisional review taking place and the matter is before the court, the province cannot comment at this time,” a spokesperson said.

Wiebe also could not provide additional details, but sent an email statement saying his department takes “ the safety of inmates and staff at our correctional facilities very seriously.”

Balcaen called on the province to release the findings of its review in a public report.

The second- and first-degree murder charges against Paul have not been tested in court.

Court records show he was convicted 16 times from May 2017 to August 2023 for charges including possession of a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, contempt of court, failing to attend court and theft under $5,000.

Kempthorne’s parents declined to comment.

— with files from Dean Pritchard and Brandon Sun

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca