Mother of deceased inmate testifies in EMDC death inquest

The final day of evidence for the inquest into the death of Murray Davis, who was found vital signs absent in his cell at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) in 2017, was held Tuesday.

Davis’ Mother Lisa gave an emotional statement to the jury.

“To lose a child was a parent's worst nightmare, but to lose a child to an overdose in jail and you know, someone had the knowledge that he was acting strange and spoke up and to try to prevent my son from dying, and no action was taken,” she said.

Lisa said that the video she watched created more questions than answers, and said, “What I do know is instead of coming home alive, Murray leaves EMDC in a body bag, and [is] given back to our family in an urn.”

A total of 52 recommendations were given to the jury that were agreed upon by the Murray family and Indigenous services.

The recommendations range from live video observation of people in custody, a reduction of people in custody, harm reduction strategies when it comes to drugs, and more supports for Indigenous peoples.

“If you did care, changes would happen immediately. People are dying regardless of their situation,” Lisa said to the jury before the recommendations were read. “Regardless of their situation, their lives should matter.”

The jury will now decide if the 52 recommendations are enough, too much, or need to be altered.