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A former corrections officer, David Kingsley, is set to be sentenced today (December 19) in Oneida County Court, Utica. Kingsley faces 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of inmate Robert Brooks. Brooks died following a brutal beating at Marcy Correctional Facility in December 2024.
According to CNY Central, the New York State Attorney General's Office released bodycam footage showing officers punching, kicking, and grabbing Brooks by the neck. The incident occurred the same day Brooks was transferred to Marcy from Mohawk Correctional Facility. He died the following day at age 43.
Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for assault after being convicted of stabbing his girlfriend. He was scheduled for release in 2026. Two of Kingsley's co-defendants were acquitted, while others involved in the incident have received varying sentences. CNN reports that Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina, who pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, received 22-year sentences. Michael Mashaw and David Walters, charged with second-degree manslaughter, were sentenced to three to nine years and two years, four months to seven years, respectively.
The case has sparked outrage and calls for reform, with Brooks' family expressing hope that it will lead to better treatment of incarcerated individuals. Brooks' son, Robert Brooks Jr., described watching the video of his father's beating as "like watching a horror movie," according to Syracuse.com.
The last guard involved, Michael Fisher, is set to go to trial in January for second-degree manslaughter. The case continues to draw attention to the treatment of inmates and the need for oversight in correctional facilities.