‘I was convinced I had two living, breathing bodies in that cell’: Correctional officer testifies at murder trial

Valerie MacDougall, who has worked at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary for 11 years, said she saw nothing unusual in the window of cell 10, but added she found it a bit strange to find Van Camp’s name tag lying on the floor of the range a short distance away.

Each of the cells is equipped with paper name tags which indicates who is in the specific cell.

“I picked up the name tag and put it back on the window of cell 10,” MacDougall said.

Upon taking a second look of the cell, MacDougall said she saw blankets moving, which she took as an indication that both occupants were sleeping. MacDougall said she also noted two orange blankets “flat and clean” with no signs of any struggle.

“Just two sleeping inmates that’s all,” she said.

MacDougall explained when inmates have an issue or concerns about personal safety, they can notify the officers by slipping notes under the cell door. The notes are later reviewed and if action is required, such as moving an inmate to a different range, it would be arranged when safe to do so.

According to testimony heard in court, correctional officers did not see any signs of tension between Vandewater and Van Camp. Van Camp returned to the prison the night before his death after breaching his parole conditions. (Facebook/Chris Van Camp)

Rod Frank helped assist with the count on the morning of June 7, and he also said he didn’t see anything unusual.

“That cell looked like the 40 before it, and the numerous ones after,” he said.

Shortly after 8 a.m. correctional officers at the prison were alerted to an incident in the ‘Charlie’ range. Frank said he arrived at the cell door roughly 30 seconds later, and along with two other officers took a closer look. The orange blanket was pulled off Van Camp, revealing what Frank described as “blood and damage” to Van Camp’s head.

At this stage, the focus then turned to Van Camp’s cellmate, Tyler Vandewater, who according to Frank was calm and compliant. Moments later, Vandewater was handcuffed. Frank said the accused told him and other officers to “relax” and “take it easy.”

Frank testified Vandewater was then escorted down the hall by three officers to a room where he was strip-searched. Frank said roughly 20 minutes later he returned to the cell and found out Van Camp was dead.

According to testimony on Tuesday, Van Camp was found lying on an old mattress. Court heard the new mattress he was given the night prior when he returned to the prison, was occupied by his cellmate Tyler Vandewater on the top bunk. (Facebook/ Tyler Vandewater)

Frank said the accused “did not have a single scratch on him.”

Vandewater’s lawyer challenged Frank during cross examination and asked him if he recalled specific scratches on his client’s elbows, allegedly caused by a shank. Frank said no.

“We do pay attention,” he said. “We do look for injury.”

Frank said he later learned from investigators that Van Camp was already dead at the time he started his cellblock count.

“I was convinced I had two, living, breathing bodies in that cell,” he stated. He added he played the incident over in his head many times.

When questioned by Justice B.J. Scherman how it could be possible for the blanket to appear moving, Frank said some inmates have fans in their cells, or it could be caused by air flow.

Three weeks were scheduled for the trial at Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench but lawyers have suggested less than a week may be needed.

Among the witnesses left to testify this week are the prison’s nurse, the RCMP officers who investigated the incident, and the forensic pathologist.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

‘I was convinced I had two living, breathing bodies in that cell’: Correctional officer testifies at murder trial

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