David Kingsley, right of center, stands before Judge Robert Bauer in this file photo.
Defendant, former correctional officer Nicholas Kieffer, right, embraces defendant and former correctional officer Mathew Galliher after their not guilty verdicts are read in the Robert Brooks murder trial at Oneida County Courthouse in Utica, Oct. 20, 2025.

After three days of deliberation, a jury found one of three New York corrections officers guilty of second-degree murder in the 2024 death of Robert Brooks, an inmate who was violently beaten in a prison infirmary.

Brooks died on Dec. 10, one day after he was transferred to Marcy Corrections Facility. Officers had not activated their body cameras, but video taken while the devices were in standby mode showed them punching, kicking and choking Brooks while his hands were handcuffed behind his back.

An autopsy was conducted by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office and, in February, Brooks' death was ruled a homicide.

The attack sparked public outrage, community protests and calls for justice. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul later ordered prison reforms and the immediate dismissal of more than a dozen corrections employees involved in the beating.

Three of the four corrections officers who had not taken a plea deal with the special prosecutor have been on trial: David Kingsley, Mathew Galliher, and Nicholas Kieffer.

There was a thick tension in the air as the jury sent out a note on the morning of Oct. 20, which simply read "We are close." It took 15 more minutes before the jury returned with a verdict.

Kingsley was found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Galliher and Kieffer were acquitted of all charges.

Brooks' son says acquitted officers were 'given a pass'

Galliher was found not guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree gang assault. Kieffer was found not guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree gang assault, and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.

In a statement released by Brooks' family, Robert Brooks Jr. said the jury made the right decision in finding Kingsley guilty, but it was hard to see Galliher and Kieffer "...be given a pass."

"[This] highlights the need for systemic change," the statement read. "Mathew Galliher and Nicholas Kieffer were doing exactly what their prison supervisors expected them to do. The guards indicted in this case were not a few bad apples; they were part of a rotten system, doing what state officials have allowed them to do."

Brooks' son said the family plans to press forward with the federal civil rights lawsuit it filed in January against New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision officials in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

He also noted the family is advocating for policy change with the End Prison Violence campaign, which is pushing for an Omnibus Prison Reform Package.

Prosecutor says 'it's not the end' for acquitted officers

Christopher Walrath, Nicholas Gentile, Nicholas Anzalone, Anthony Farina, Michael Mashaw, and David Walters have pleaded guilty to charges related to Brooks' death. Another involved officer, Michael Fisher, is slated to go to trial in January.

Special Prosecutor William Fitzpatrick said after the verdict that he respected the jury's decision. When asked how he felt seeing two people acquitted whom he described as "gang members," Fitzpatrick said that going into the trial there were four people of interest.

"All four of them, Anthony Farina, David Kingsley, Nicholas Anzalone, and Christopher Walrath, will be serving lengthy prison sentences," Fitzpatrick said. "When we looked at the tape for the first time, those were the main individuals."

Fitzpatrick said he had zero regrets as to the work of his department's handling of the Brooks case and said it would have no bearing or influence on the case of Messiah Nantwi, who died in March at the Mid-State Correctional Facility across the street from where Brooks was killed.

Fitzpatrick said that while he won't be able to appeal the case, "...it's not the end for Mr. Galliher and Mr. Kieffer."

"The United States attorney for the Western District is investigating this case and will proceed," Fitzpatrick said.

Attorneys say body cam footage vindicated acquitted officers

Attorney David Longeretta, who represented Kieffer, said he was confident that the body-worn camera would prove his client innocent and was vindicated by the jury's verdict.

Attorney Kevin Luibrand, who represented Galliher, said the blame laid on the state and the Department of Corrections and Community Service for "...failing to train, supervise, and provide leadership" and that had they done that, Galliher wouldn't have been in that position.

Luibrand added Galliher shouldn't have been charged and like Kieffer, was vindicated by the body-worn camera footage.

Former incarcerated individual reacts

Georgio White, a member of Voice of Da Voiceless, a non-profit organization in Utica founded in 2024 to support incarcerated individuals, said he was upset and disappointed at the verdict.

"I'm a former incarcerated individual and I saw gang assault [on the body-worn camera]," White said. "I was released from Mohawk Correctional Facility on Jan. 17, 2024 and I saw that kind of stuff every day, and they always get away with it... Justice was not served, but we've got to learn from this so we can do everything we can to make sure this something like this never happens again."

When asked what kind of reform he'd like to see, White said there needs to be a position created to advocate for incarcerated individuals.

Jury asked to review body cam footage, autopsy report

Over the course of two days, the jury sent out nine notes, asking for clarification, additional viewings of body-worn camera footage, and exhibits for review.

Among the earliest notes from the jury was four requests around two hours into deliberation on Oct. 16.

The first request was to have the compilation video of the four body-worn cameras played again.

The second request was to have the definitions of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter read to them again by Judge Robert Bauer.

The third request was for the autopsy report of Robert Brooks, referring to a PowerPoint presentation by the prosecution, showing all the wounds Brooks suffered as part of the the assault at Marcy, with the focus being on the injuries to Brooks's neck.

The fourth request was to have a list of all exhibits so the jury can "...choose what we want to see."

Contributing: Thao Nyugen and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: One NY prison guard guilty of murder, two acquitted in beating death of handcuffed inmate

Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch

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