The B.C. Coroners Service continues to investigate the death of an 87-year-old man with no criminal history who died at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre on July 11.
The coroners service is attempting to determine Rodger Traill’s cause of death. Traill was arrested on July 6 and spent six days in jail while the Crown, judge and defence worked on a plan to release him on bail. He had been charged with assaulting and threatening to kill his wife and careless handling of a firearm.
B.C. Corrections spokesperson Cindy Rose confirmed the inmate’s death at the jail.
“Any death in custody is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of this individual,” she said.
B.C. Corrections did not answer whether it had any concerns about Traill’s medical condition during his six days in custody, where he stayed at the jail and whether he was housed in a cell by himself or with others. Privacy laws prohibit the disclosure of information about an inmate's medical history or records, said Rose.
“We are working closely with the B.C. Coroners Service. ... B.C. Corrections will consider whether the circumstances of the death warrant a further internal review as additional information becomes available. Typically, we do not conduct an internal review if the death is due to natural causes. We defer to the B.C. Coroners Service to release any information about the cause of death.”
Inquests are not mandatory in the deaths of inmates at correctional facilities, said Andy Watson, B.C. Coroners Service spokesman.
“Generally speaking, we hold inquests into deaths at correctional facilities due to public interest. The decision to hold inquests on those deaths is up to the discretion of the chief coroner,” said Watson.
Since 2014, there have been three deaths, including Traill’s, at the correctional centre. An inmate died in 2016. Another inmate died in 2017.
Saanich police said because the matter is still before the courts they could not answer if they had been called to the Traill home before July 6.
Victoria criminal defence lawyer Michael Mulligan said jail is a dangerous place that’s not good for anyone.
“It’s an extremely difficult environment for someone to be in. If you’re a healthy 21-year-old, jail is a dangerous, frightening place to be,” said Mulligan. “You can imagine someone of 87 having challenges with mobility and diet. It’s a frightening, dangerous place for anyone, let alone someone of 87 with no criminal record who has never been there before.”
At Traill’s bail hearing, Crown prosecutor Patrick Weir told the court that Traill’s wife called police because her husband was upset and began smacking her in the face.
A few days earlier, Traill had told her he would shoot her if she were ever to call police. Elizabeth Traill managed to get out of the apartment safely. When police went inside, they saw three rifles, two shotguns and boxes of ammunition that Traill had put on display. Traill said he had just taken them out of a safe to clean them.
Police confiscated the firearms, ammunition and a hunting knife, Weir said.
Police took the call very seriously because Traill was a man of “questionable mental stability with access to firearms and ammunition,” said Weir.
The man told police he had Addison’s disease and fibromyalgia and hadn’t taken his medication for a few days. Police went back to the apartment and got his medication for him.
Traill also told police he was thinking about suicide, but the way he said it didn’t make them think he was a danger to himself.
Weir was willing to release Traill on bail if he had a surety — someone who would supervise him while on bail. But defence lawyer Jordan Watt, who was the in-custody duty counsel, could not find anyone willing to take on the role.
Judge Carmen Rogers was concerned Traill would return home to his vulnerable wife of 62 years, whom he had threatened with a firearm.
“I don’t see how I can be assured of her safety without some better plan than he’s going to stay at a hotel somewhere,” she said.
