Former inmate Richard MacInnis continues to be deeply affected by the traumatic experience of discovering his friend Richard Murray's lifeless body in a cell at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Halifax. The scene left him convinced that authorities could have taken greater precautions to prevent the suicide.

According to MacInnis, Murray had positioned a bedsheet across his cell to partially obscure the window, which should have drawn the attention of correctional officers conducting mandated 30-minute safety checks. MacInnis argues guards are supposed to confirm inmates are physically alive and well during these checks, yet he believes they overlooked obvious warning signs. MacInnis expressed clear frustration, emphasizing how the visibility of Murray's hanging body should have alerted staff members much sooner.

Further raising doubts about appropriate supervision, MacInnis noted that by the time he found Murray's body, it was already exhibiting signs of rigor mortis—suggestive that his friend had died hours before discovery. This aligns with official documentation, which noted Murray was last seen alive at approximately 10 p.m. the previous night but wasn't found until roughly 13 hours later, shortly before 11 a.m. the next day. The family learned key details only thanks to MacInnis’s eyewitness testimony, leaving them upset by the lack of transparency from jail authorities.

MacInnis highlighted that Murray had explicitly communicated suicidal feelings to a correctional officer shortly before his death and had heavily indicated suicidal intent in a letter to his wife. Despite these alarming signals, Murray was returned to his cell after a mental health evaluation without special precautions. MacInnis insists Murray required close supervision and appropriate care, particularly given his previous suicide attempt in May 2023 and his known deteriorating mental condition amid an extended incarceration awaiting trial.

Murray had been in custody for nine months on charges stemming from a home incident in which he allegedly pointed a firearm at police officers performing a wellness visit. Friends and family insist Murray's mental health issues—which had previously warranted hospitalization—were inadequately addressed within the correctional system.

In response to a lawsuit filed by Murray's family alleging neglect and inadequate supervision, the provincial Justice Department has denied most allegations and asserted confidentiality requirements limited what information could be shared with correctional officers. Nonetheless, MacInnis maintains the public deserves clearer answers to protect other vulnerable inmates from similar outcomes.

For MacInnis, losing the friend he had previously protected from harm remains an unsettling memory and a painful reminder of potential institutional neglects. He hopes that shining light on this tragedy might bring about the necessary reforms to ensure it never happens again.