Family and advocates of Kendal Lee Campeau alleged systemic abuse and failures in mental health care led to his death in custody in 2021
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Nearly five years after Kendal Lee Campeau died of methadone toxicity in a federal prison in Abbotsford, a date has been set for the coroner’s inquest into the circumstances of his death.
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When he died, the 31-year-old from Saskatchewan was about 18 months from the end of a seven-year sentence for assault, escape from lawful custody, possession for the purpose of trafficking and other charges. His family, as well as numerous advocacy groups and the First Nations Justice Council, have pushed for an inquiry into his death, alleging systemic abuse and failures in his mental-health care.
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His family said he had told them he had been physically and sexually assaulted by prison officers and had another correctional officer give him a razor blade and encourage him to kill himself. A CBC report in July 2025 detailed how Campeau’s mental health deteriorated drastically in custody, and that his fatal overdose was the second he had had that day.
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“(We) call on the B.C. coroner to convene an inquest to meaningfully examine the treatment Mr. Campeau endured while in federal custody and examine the links between the abuses he suffered, his mental and physical health, and his death, and to make recommendations to prevent future deaths of incarcerated people,” the council wrote in a 2024 letter to B.C.’s chief coroner.
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The inquest into Campeau’s death will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 28 at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court, on the 20th floor of 4720 Kingsway in Burnaby.
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B.C.’s chief coroner can call for an inquest when the public has an interest in being informed about the circumstances surrounding a death, or the death resulted from a dangerous practice or circumstance, and similar deaths could be prevented through recommendations.
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The inquest will determine the facts related to a death, make recommendations where appropriate and supported by evidence to prevent deaths in similar circumstances, and ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death weren’t overlooked, concealed or ignored.
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Coroner Kimberly Isbister and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations, as outlined above, though they mustn’t make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
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The livestream for the inquest will be available on the coroners service’s website starting Sept. 28.
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