Three ex‑prison guards on trial for fatal beating
On Oct. 7, 2025, three former guards — Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer and David Kingsley — went on trial in Utica, N.Y., charged with murder and first‑degree manslaughter in the death of inmate Robert Brooks after prosecutors said body‑camera footage shows the handcuffed Black man was beaten at Marcy Correctional Facility. Onondaga County DA William Fitzpatrick told jurors the defendants acted 'like a gang' and that Brooks suffered fatal injuries including a broken bone in his neck and torn thyroid cartilage; defense lawyers say prosecutors cannot prove malice or depraved indifference by their clients.
Crime
Legal
📌 Key Facts
- Defendants: Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer, David Kingsley — charged with murder and first‑degree manslaughter
- Incident: Beating of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9; assault captured in part on body‑camera footage cited by prosecutors
- Court action: Trial opening statements delivered Oct. 7, 2025; prosecution describes repeated physical assaults and medical cause of death (neck fracture, torn thyroid cartilage, airway restriction and choking on blood)