Completely separating inmates unrealistic, inquest judge says in report on three Stony Mountain slayings

Nothing short of keeping inmates separated at all times could have prevented three unrelated prisoner-on-prisoner killings several years ago in Stony Mountain Institution’s maximum-security unit, an inquest judge has found.

Provincial court Judge Lindy Choy made the finding after overseeing an inquest earlier this year into the slayings of Adrian Fillion, 42, Michael Monney, 27, and Nolan Thomas, 26, all of which occurred at the hands of fellow maximum-security inmates in the federal prison just north of Winnipeg. The killings occurred when cells were unlocked, allowing inmates to briefly move around to other areas in the cell block.

“The overall impression I was left with from the (Stony Mountain Institution) witnesses was that management of inmates in a custodial facility is a very complex undertaking. There are clearly multiple levels of oversight involved in any decisions that are made and it is all done in a very structured manner,” Choy wrote in her report on the inquest, which was made public Tuesday.

“While maintaining complete physical distance between inmates at all times would have prevented the homicides from occurring, we know that from a social and psychological perspective, this is not generally realistic nor acceptable.”

The judge offered no formal recommendations after hearing from prison and local health authority officials, and reviewing correctional investigations into the killings.

Inmates attacked and killed Fillion on April 22, 2019. Corrections officers were alerted by an alarm in his cell and found him lying face down on his bed with multiple stab wounds.

Peter Fisher and Kevin Edwards have since pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the slaying and were sentenced to life with no chance for parole for 25 years. A third inmate accused in the slaying, Aaron Ducharme, was acquitted after a trial.

Prison surveillance camera footage showed Fisher and Edwards, who were both in a common area at about 8:20 p.m., proceed to their cell range as Fillion exited his cell and went downstairs to the common area.

Ducharme spoke with him and walked him back to his cell. The other two men — Fisher holding a sharp, improvised weapon — followed Fillion inside as Ducharme left. Fisher and Edwards left after about a minute.

Fillion’s cell alarm was activitated a few minutes later and corrections officers, who performed first aid, had paramedics take him to the Stonewall hospital, where he died.

Correctional officials found that Fisher and several other inmates had assaulted Fillion — who had been transferred from another facility nine days earlier — after they got annoyed with him playing music loudly.

The situation was mediated and all shook hands, but “unfortunately, the homicide occurred nine days later,” wrote Choy.

Earlier that month, on April 13, inmates Stephen Wood, Adrien Sefa and Stephen Konowalchuk attacked and killed Monney. The three have all been sentenced for their involvement in the slaying.

Surveillance footage showed an incident at about 12:30 p.m. that day in which Konowalchuk, appearing animated, spoke with Monney through the victim’s locked cell door. He left a short time later, appearing angry or irritated.

Later, at about 12:50 p.m., as Monney walked past Konowalchuk and Woods’ cells, another heated conversation began. Sefa soon walked by and tried to push Monney into the cell Woods was in with Konowalchuk.

Monney punched Sefa, and soon all four were involved in a brawl. Wood stabbed Monney in the right clavicle, cutting his jugular vein, with a sharp improvised weapon.

Monney went downstairs, toward a barrier between officers and the cell range, and collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the Stonewall hospital.

Correctional officials found that apart from the conflict between Konowalchuk and Monney about 20 minutes before the killing, there were no other indications of potential violence between them, aside from the fact all four were known to be violent criminals.

Thomas was attacked and killed by inmates Todd Irving and Cory Derdak on Nov. 2, 2018. Derdak and Irving both got life with no shot at parole for 25 years after admitting to first-degree murder.

It was just before 8 p.m. that day when Thomas entered Derdak’s cell, where Irving already was, with items from the canteen, then left seconds later, returned to his own cell and then rushed out of the cell range. He returned to Derdak’s cell with food and all three stayed inside as the doors were locked.

At about 8:20 p.m., Irving and Derdak went to speak with correctional officers and advised them that they killed Thomas, who was laying in a pool of blood in the cell. He had been brutally beaten and stabbed. Paramedics later pronounced him dead.

Prison officials found there were no known factors that led to the attack, though it was clearly a carefully planned and calculated killing.

Choy noted correctional investigators made some recommended considerations for policy changes after probing the deaths.

Inquests, which are mandatory in Manitoba when a person dies in police custody or a correctional facility, are held in front of provincial court judges to determine what could have been done to prevent a death and what recommendations could prevent similar ones in the future.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca