Richard MacInnis will never forget the harrowing moment he discovered his friend’s lifeless body in a Halifax jail cell.
The experience, which unfolded on January 15, 2024, at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility, left him convinced that more could have been done to save Richard Murray—a 60-year-old man he had looked after for months and had even helped prevent from taking his own life once before.
In a recent interview, MacInnis recounted the events of that day, describing how he noticed a bedsheet strung across the room, partially blocking the view through the cell window. Behind it, Murray had hanged himself using a strip of cloth.
MacInnis remains troubled by the fact that a correctional officer had not noticed the obstruction. Guards are required to check inmates every 30 minutes by looking through their cell windows. “They’re supposed to confirm we’re alive and breathing—that’s the whole point of their checks,” MacInnis said. “If they had looked properly, they would have seen the sheet hanging there and his feet beneath it.”
The provincial Justice Department declined an interview with the jail superintendent, citing an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by Murray’s family. Officials also refused to answer questions regarding standard procedures for inmate checks.
However, a source familiar with the province’s jail policies—who spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to comment publicly—confirmed that correctional officers are expected to ensure inmates are safe every 30 minutes.
A Delayed Discovery and Lingering Questions
Beyond the lack of oversight, MacInnis was also disturbed by the condition of Murray’s body when he found him. He noted that rigor mortis had already set in, a clear sign that Murray had been dead for several hours.
The official autopsy report, provided to the family by the medical examiner, did not specify an exact time of death. It stated that Murray was last seen alive at 10 p.m. on January 14, 2024, and was found at 10:50 a.m. the following day—over 13 hours later—by MacInnis and another inmate delivering food.
Murray’s family has expressed deep frustration over the lack of information provided by jail officials. Dalton Murray, Richard’s son, said the family would have remained in the dark if not for a letter MacInnis sent them last summer.
“The letter Richard (MacInnis) wrote to us is crucial,” Dalton said. “Without it, we wouldn’t have known any of these details. We now understand that my father lay there for hours before anyone found him. The jail never told us any of this.”
Warning Signs Were Ignored
MacInnis also informed the family that Murray had shown clear signs of distress before his death.
“The night before Richard took his own life, he spoke to a correctional officer and said he was feeling suicidal,” MacInnis wrote in his June 30, 2024, letter to Dalton. He also noted that Murray had been taken to the jail’s health unit for an assessment on January 14, only to be returned to his cell that same night.
These details align with the province’s statement of defense, which was submitted in response to the family’s lawsuit. The legal document confirms that a correctional officer had discovered a letter Murray wrote to his wife, in which he expressed suicidal thoughts. The officer reported it to the jail’s health staff, leading to an assessment before dinner. However, Murray was sent back to his cell a few hours later without being placed under special supervision.
MacInnis believes this was a grave mistake. “He should have been put on suicide watch that night, not left alone in his cell,” he said. He also noted that correctional officers often “just breeze by” during their checks, failing to properly monitor inmates.
Should He Have Been Jailed at All?
For MacInnis, what makes Murray’s death even more tragic is the lingering question of whether he should have been incarcerated in the first place.
At the time of his death, Murray had been in jail for nine months, awaiting trial on charges of pointing a firearm at police and making threats—charges he had intended to fight in court.
According to his defense lawyer, the case stemmed from a wellness check at Murray’s home in Antigonish, N.S. He had recently been discharged from the hospital following treatment for mental health issues. When police arrived, he was alone in his house and, believing someone was breaking in, raised a shotgun.
MacInnis recalled how his friend’s mental health steadily declined in jail, particularly due to long periods of isolation caused by staff shortages. The province’s statement of defense also confirmed that Murray had attempted suicide once before, on May 31, 2023.
“You never knew when you’d be allowed out of your cell—morning, noon, or night,” MacInnis said. “And Richard was already struggling with mental health issues.”
Despite the family’s allegations that correctional staff failed in their duty to monitor Murray, the province has denied wrongdoing in its legal response. Officials claim that due to patient confidentiality, correctional officers were not informed of the reasons for Murray’s health assessment before his return to his cell.
Still, MacInnis insists that the family—and the public—deserve more transparency to prevent future tragedies.
“Richard Murray was a good man,” he said. “I looked out for him. It was heartbreaking.”
“It was the first time I ever found a body. It was chilling.”
