Jurors in Utica, New York, have begun hearing the harrowing details of the death of Robert L. Brooks, an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility, as the trial of three corrections officers accused of his murder unfolds. Opening statements kicked off on October 7, 2025, marking the start of what is expected to be a two- to three-week trial that has already gripped the region and drawn attention to the broader issue of brutality within the state’s prison system.
According to reporting from Syracuse.com, the three officers on trial—Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer, and David Kingsley—face charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in connection with Brooks’ death on December 9, 2024. Galliher and Kieffer also face additional charges. If convicted on the top counts, each could face a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.
The prosecution, led by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, who was appointed as special prosecutor, alleges that the guards displayed a "depraved indifference" to Brooks’ life, culminating in a fatal beating inside the prison’s infirmary. Fitzpatrick described the actions of the guards as akin to a gang, stating, "A series of prison guards effectively turned into a gang on the night of Dec. 9, 2024... They brutally attacked Brooks, showing a depraved indifference toward him that ultimately led to his death."
The beating was not an isolated incident. In fact, prosecutors say it was the third and final assault Brooks endured within a short period. The fatal attack was captured on body cameras worn by four guards; although none had manually activated their cameras, the devices passively recorded about 30 minutes of video—albeit without audio. This footage, now central to the prosecution’s case, shows Brooks being repeatedly punched and kicked in the groin, abdomen, and face while he was restrained on a medical exam table in the infirmary’s emergency examination room. At one point, a guard can be seen putting his arms around Brooks’ neck and yanking him off the table multiple times.
Brooks, 43, was transported to a hospital in Utica less than an hour after the beating, where he was pronounced dead. The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide, citing "compression of the neck and multiple blunt-impact injuries" as the cause. The autopsy revealed extensive bruising, a fractured nose bone, and bleeding in his genitals and neck.
In a poignant moment during the trial’s first full day of testimony on October 8, jurors were shown video footage from the day before Brooks’ death. The video, taken from Sgt. David Sayyeau’s body-worn camera, depicted Brooks bloodied after an assault by another inmate at Mohawk Correctional Facility. Sayyeau, a longtime corrections department employee, was seen establishing a rapport with Brooks, who was found carrying a combination lock and a sock—items Sayyeau suggested Brooks might have been using for protection. When asked if these could be fashioned into a weapon, Sayyeau replied, "Possibly," but added that he thought Brooks kept them for self-defense.
During the interaction, Brooks repeatedly talked about wanting to leave prison, mentioning a desire to get on a flight to Puerto Rico. Sayyeau testified that he considered Brooks "coherent" and interpreted the talk of flying as a metaphor for wanting to escape his circumstances. Nevertheless, Sayyeau filled out a form requesting a mental health evaluation for Brooks. Later that day, Brooks was transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility for his safety, a move confirmed by corrections department testimony in a separate civil case.
Prosecutors also played video clips taken by a State Police investigator after Brooks’ death, showing the route Brooks took upon arriving at Marcy Correctional Facility. The footage traced his path through the administration building, past several locked doors and passageways, and along an outdoor sidewalk leading to the infirmary—where the fatal beating occurred. According to defense attorney David Longeretta, Brooks allegedly became "non-compliant" during this escort, prompting Kieffer to use pepper spray on him. This area marks the beginning of the body camera footage that would later become pivotal evidence in the case.
Inside the emergency examination room, the video captured a chaotic and violent scene: guards pushing, punching, and kicking Brooks while he was on the exam table. The medical examiner’s findings, coupled with the visual evidence, painted a grim picture of Brooks’ final moments. Yet, when State Police investigators filmed the room more than a week after the incident, it appeared "spotless and sterile," with Brooks’ blood wiped away and the paper on the exam table replaced.
The defense teams for Galliher, Kieffer, and Kingsley have argued that their clients were not present for the entire attack, did not participate, or were unaware of the full extent of what was happening. They have sought to distance their clients from the most egregious aspects of the beating, emphasizing the chaotic environment and the difficulty of assigning individual responsibility in such situations.
Special Prosecutor Fitzpatrick, however, has been careful to draw a distinction between the accused and the broader corrections community. "I stand here not to tell you with a broad brush that corrections officers are bad people," he told jurors. "On the contrary, the overwhelming majority of them are decent people that do a difficult job. And we owe them our gratitude and our thanks." His remarks acknowledged the challenging and often dangerous work corrections officers face, while underscoring the gravity of the charges against the defendants.
The three officers on trial are not the only ones implicated in Brooks’ death. A fourth guard, Michael Fisher, is scheduled to stand trial separately in January 2026. Six other guards indicted in the case have pleaded guilty to related charges, and three additional individuals have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as witnesses. This broad net of accountability, as reported by Syracuse.com, reflects the systemic nature of the violence that led to Brooks’ death and has fueled calls for reform from advocates and lawmakers alike.
The trial, which is expected to conclude within the next few weeks, continues to shine a spotlight on the conditions inside New York’s correctional facilities and the challenges of ensuring accountability when abuses occur behind prison walls. For the family of Robert L. Brooks, the proceedings are a painful reminder of the loss they have suffered—and a test of whether the justice system can deliver meaningful consequences for those responsible.
As testimony and evidence continue, the community and observers across the state watch closely, aware that the outcome of this trial may have far-reaching implications for prison oversight and the treatment of incarcerated individuals in New York and beyond.
