Inquest called in the death of Ryan McKechnie at Barton Street jail

Regional supervising coroner Dr. Karen Schiff announced an inquest into the death of Ryan McKechnie on Monday.

McKechnie, 34, died on June 29, 2017, while in custody at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. He was found unresponsive in his cell.

The date and location for the inquest have not yet been announced.

The inquest, which is mandatory under the Coroners Act, will examine the circumstances surrounding McKechnie’s death.

The jury may make recom- mendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.

A partial toxicology screening suggested the deadly opioid fentanyl was in McKechnie’s system at the time of his death, according to his family.

McKechnie’s sister Amy previously told The Spectator Ryan leaves two daughters and a family “torn apart.”

“Ryan was so full of life and lit up every room he walked in, he had so much potential, he was loving and generous, always willing to help family and friends, he always had a joke,” she said.

The announcement of this inquest comes about two months after the conclusion of a largescale six-week super inquest into the deaths of eight men at the Barton Street jail that exposed gaps in health care, security and communication between different agencies.

The jury made more than 60 sweeping recommendations for reform that are being considered by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

An inquest into the death of Brennan Bowley — the 23-yearold who died in January of a suspected overdose at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre — was announced last month.