Police have laid murder charges against a Bowden Institute inmate in connection to the June 19 sudden death of a prisoner.
Innisfail RCMP S/Sgt. Lyle Marianchuk said a second-degree murder charge was laid June 23 against 33-year-old Bowden Institution inmate Keith Clinton Sandmaier.
He is accused of stabbing fellow inmate David Tung-Louie, 38, to death in a common area on the outside grounds inside the prison. Tung–Louie was convicted in 2003 on robbery, weapons and drug charges, and was serving a 12-year prison sentence. He had been at Bowden Institution since January of 2010.
Sandmaier is currently serving a three-year prison sentence, mostly for property related offences as well as for armed robbery. He was convicted in January of 2009.
Tung-Louie’s killing is the first homicide reported at the prison since the federal prison opened 37 years ago.
Sandmaier will be making his first appearance in Red Deer provincial court on June 24.
Last week, RCMP said it is continuing its investigation at Bowden Institution.
Meanwhile, the prison is now out of a lock-down state, which was ordered immediately after the fatal incident. The prison, which houses 584 medium security prisoners and 72 under minimum supervision, was under lock-down for most of last week. Visits to inmates were also cancelled last week.
“We’ve had no issues whatsoever. It has been entirely stable,” said Rita Wehrle, assistant warden at the prison.
Last week Wehrle said prison staff responded to a medical emergency outside a living unit at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, June 19.
“The inmate was found to be in medical distress. Officers and nursing staff administered first aid and he was transferred to Innisfail Hospital,” she said on June 20.
Wehrle said Tung-Louie succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Wehrle said a lock down was immediately ordered at the prison while RCMP from Innisfail, Red Deer and Lethbridge conducted their investigation.
