Officer Guilty in Marcy Inmate's Death; 2 Acquitted

An Oneida County jury on Oct. 20 found former corrections officer David Kingsley guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in the Dec. 9, 2024 beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility. Kingsley faces 25 years to life and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15. Two co-defendants, Mathew Galliher and Nicholas Kieffer, were acquitted; the state Department of Corrections says both resigned and will not be rehired. Body-worn camera footage, captured while devices were not fully activated, showed officers punching, kicking and choking the handcuffed Brooks, and an autopsy ruled his death a homicide from neck compression and multiple blunt-force injuries. Ten officers were charged in connection with the attack; six have pleaded guilty (including Christopher Walrath, who received a 15-year sentence), prosecutors say some officers lied, and another officer, Michael Fisher, faces trial in January. The verdict prompted protests and renewed calls for prison reform — including mandatory body-camera policies and greater oversight — and Gov. Kathy Hochul has condemned the conduct and ordered dismissals and reforms.