Toronto Police have announced two more arrests in connection with the early January beating death of a Don Jail inmate.
Just over two weeks ago, they announced a fourth arrest in connection with the murder of Kevon Phillips, found unconscious by jail staff on the afternoon of Jan. 2.
The theory is that Phillips, who had been awaiting deportation to his native Trinidad, had been beaten to death in connection with a botched attempt to smuggle drugs into the institution.
Police said Monday in a news release that two Toronto residents have been charged with second-degree murder:
- Hussein Nur, 21
- Abdifatah Mohamed, 20
They are to appear in court on Wednesday.
Four others are facing murder charges:
- Christopher Fearon, 26, of Toronto (arrest announced April 16)
- Nixon Nirmalendran, 20, of Toronto (arrest announced April 10)
- Nathaniel Grant, 25, of Toronto (arrest announced March 31)
- Said Mohamed, 22, of Toronto (arrest announced March 24)
No allegations in connection with Phillips' death against any of the six individuals has been proven in a court of law.
The Don Jail is to close in 2012. Its inmates, who are generally short-term inmates awaiting trial, will be moved to the Toronto South Detention Centre. That facility is currently under construction.
Monday's announcement comes as the family of Jeff Munro, a mentally ill inmate beaten to death in the Don Jail, is suing the police and Ontario's Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Munro's family say they hope a lawsuit will provide the answers that they have so far not received from the authorities about why Munro was placed in that institution and not a hospital where he could receive help for his drug and mental health problems.
