BRANTFORD -- The mother of a murdered Don Jail inmate contends his slaying was a case of a known drug addict who was poorly handled in detention.
Three Toronto men face first-degree murder charges after inmate Jeff Munro, 32, was beaten with "fist and feet" Saturday night. Police were called to the Gerrard St. E. jail just before 8 p.m. and found Munro dead from facial trauma.
"This was unavoidable, but it never should have happened," a heartbroken Christine Munro said yesterday from her Brantford home.
"Jeff was ill. He had a drug addiction that caused him to be ill and unstable. The police knew him and how to handle him. The jail should have known."
Police yesterday remained tight-lipped about details. Munro reportedly was beaten in an area not monitored by cameras.
"It appears that an altercation occurred at the jail, but the type of altercation, I don't have all the details, yet," Const. Tony Vella said.
"It was a quick arrest in the afternoon after witnesses connected their investigation."
Troy Victor Campbell, 24, Osman Sarikay, 22, and Kevin Andre Veiro, 21, have each been charged with first-degree murder. They are to appear at College Park court this morning.
Munro was taken into custody four days earlier on a breach of probation charge. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a peace officer on Nov. 2 and his release conditions included not having access to weapons and that he take anger management and drug abuse counselling.
Munro was born and raised in Brantford, but worked in Toronto. He was enrolled in dance lessons since he was two years old and as a young adult won spots in the dance troupes of the Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruise lines.
That was where he was introduced to crystal meth -- a highly addictive drug.
"He had no concept of danger. He has been found without clothes, and on the bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario," his mother said. But no matter the turns life took, Jeff would always call her. Whenever she heard police had picked him up, it was a blessing.
"Whenever that happened, I at least knew he was safe."
But when three months went by without a call, she became fearful that something dreadful was happening. Munro said she had known something would happen to her son some day, but she always thought it would be from drugs.
"When the police showed up at the door, I knew it was about Jeff," she said.
"But when they told me he was murdered in jail, I said: 'That's not right. It should never have happened there.' "
