A Kenyan man who had been jailed in prison in Nova Scotia, Canada has died and speculation is rife over the mysterious circumstances his life ended.
The man named Charles Mangapi died less than two months after he was sent to the Springhill Institution to serve a two-year sentence starting from June 7, 2024.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) affirmed that he was indeed in custody when he died, but declined to reveal further details pertaining to his death stating that investigations were still pending.
“On July 13, 2024, Charles Mangapi, an inmate from Springhill Institution, died while in our custody,” the CSC’s statement read.
“As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified,” the service noted.
According to the CSC, Mangapi was in prison serving a sentence of two years, 7 months and 7 days at the time of his death. He had been found guilty of two counts of motor vehicle theft and a sexual offence involving a sixteen year old person.
“At the time of death, the inmate had been serving a sentence of 2 years, 7 months and 7 days for Motor Vehicle Theft (x2) and Sexual Interference of a Person Under 16 since June 7, 2024,” the CSC stated.
Canadian laws stipulate that the the crime of sexual interference is defined under Section 151 of the Criminal Code and is applicable when the victim is under 16 years of age. This offense encompasses direct or indirect touching of any part of the victim’s body with a part of the body or an object for a sexual purpose.
Mangapi was charged after Halifax Regional Police recovered Kshs 94.8 million($1 million) in stolen, re-vinned vehicles.
This was after a year-long investigation into the trafficking of stolen vehicles into Nova Scotia from Alberta which led to the arrest of Mangapi in March 2023. During the operation, he was found in a stolen vehicle holding a pound of cocaine.
He was charged again in March of this year and was sentenced in June to serve his imprisonment at the SpringHill instutution.
The correctional instititution houses over 500 male offenders and focuses on rehabilitation and preparing inmates for eventual reintegration into society. It is among correctional institutions that offer various programs aimed at education, vocational training, and treatment to support offenders in their rehabilitation journey.
Mangapi’s family lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with his mother based in the province’s capital Halifax.
