As the inquest into the death of a 27-year-old Ottawa man who was killed while serving time in a Kingston prison starts to wrap up, Donald Mongeon's mother told CTV Ottawa Thursday the inquest has produced more confusion than answers.
"It's a sin because the truth is not coming out. It's all even more confusing," said Susan Mongeon, whose son was found stabbed to death in his prison cell at Collins Bay Penitentiary, only 50 yards away from where prison guards were stationed on Jan. 17, 1999.
An early investigation revealed the guards claimed they checked on Mongeon every hour before finding his dead body in his prison cell. However, investigators later discovered Mongeon lay dead in a pool of his own blood under a cot in his cell for more than six hours.
Although several witnesses have testified about what happened on and after the night of the killing, a coroner's inquest does not seek to lay any blame for the crime.
"I think it's important to keep in mind that a coroner's inquest is not a vehicle to establish legal responsibility. In fact, that's specifically something that a coroner's inquest cannot do," crown attorney Brian Fukuzawa told CTV Ottawa.
Mongeon, however, is pushing for the inquest to close and hopes her son's murder case gets reopened. She said the inquest has failed both her son and his family.
"I've asked for this inquest to close and reopen the murder investigation and really, seriously, this inquest should close."
The inquest is expected to start wrapping up Friday, a week earlier than scheduled. Then, it's up to a jury to decide what recommendations can be made so something like this does not happen again.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua
