sandilandsrehabilitationcenter

Investigators have ruled the recent prison death of Mikhail Miller at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, as a homicide.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe confirmed that the victim died from blunt force trauma.

The big story

The 29-year-old was a mental patient imprisoned at the correctional facility. His mother said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis due to the intake of contaminated drugs.

His mother, Rose Miller attempted to get him help for his mental sickness and sought the assistance of police to get him arrested.

She then got a warrant for his arrest producing evidence that he stole shoes from his brother which he was told by a judge to refund.

Since he did not make payments, Rose asked that Mikhail be placed before the courts.

What his sister said since the autopsy findings

Sherine Miller, a sister of the deceased said the family was horrified of the autopsy results and are waiting to find out  the details of his killing at the facility.

“Someone has to be held accountable for Mikhail’s death. We are appalled and words cannot describe what we feel…We were looking for help and this is what we got at the end of the day. A dead body that came back out to us and nobody wants to tell us what is happening and how did he arrive to the situation.”

The sister said the family still has questions surrounding the events that unfolded.

His mother added that it is difficult to understand what happened since “my son was not sick apart from the mental problems that he had.”

The sister said the family was retaining a lawyer to represent them.

Mikhail Miller was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis due to the intake of contaminated drugs.

His mother Rose Miller struggled with him and tried to admit him to the country’s medical institute for the mentally ill, Sandilands Rehabilitation Center. So she sought the assistance of police officers.

Rose was told that she needed a reason for 29-year-old Mikhail to be picked up by officers and sent to Sandilands.

Rose then got a warrant for his arrest producing evidence that he stole shoes from his brother which he was told by a judge to refund to his brother.

Since he did not make payments, Rose asked that Mikhail be placed before the courts again.

“But they said that they didn’t see the warrant into the system and so I said I need help to get him off the street and so they said ‘well, did he steal (anything from you)’ and I said yes he take my tablet (and) my phone and they said that will be a reason to get him off the street.”

Rose asked that he be sent to Sandilands Rehabilitation Center but he was remanded at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

What happened?

Mikhail was found dead in his cell on Monday morning. Pathologist Dr. Karen Sands is still doing an investigation to determine the cause of death but reports suggested he was found with injuries, which could have been caused by natural or unnatural causes.

Rose believes Mikhail was ganged in a cell and placed in a quarantined cell where he died. But official reports have not determined this.

Was an officer on guard?

It is not known if a prisoner officer saw what transpired, if anything did, but the prison remains overcrowded, which National Minister Wayne Munroe says makes it harder for officers to monitor each individual.

The prison also houses patients from the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center, which has a moratorium on new admittances due to COVID-19.

A prison officer who wanted to remain anonymous told CSJ Report that the cell holding the mentally ill at the facility is overwhelming for officers since many of the patients are without medication and as a result are acting erratically.

SRC seemed to have forgotten these patients as some are defecating on the floors of the prison.

Six COVID-19 cases were confirmed today at The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC).

In a statement, the PHA confirmed that currently, six female patients at the Geriatric Hospital have tested positive for the infectious disease.

The patients have been placed in quarantine in keeping with COVID-19 protocols and out of an abundance of caution.

Additionally, SRC Employee Health Department has commenced the relevant protocols with regards to the assessment of staff and follow-through based on the results.

All SRC staff continue to adhere to the Infection Control Precautions and the institution continues to restrict visits at this time.

Health officials reported 13 new cases for the country on Thursday, with 9 in New Providence and 4 in Grand Bahama.

The country’s total stands at 8088 cases; 1141 active cases and 6720 recovered cases.

Sandilands Rehabilitation Center confirms a woman took her life at the health facility.  The suicide remains under investigation.

What is known

• The woman is 52-years old.
• She was a patient at SRC.
• She attempted suicide on Sunday 8th.
• She was transported to the Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance.
• The woman was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

What is unknown

• The identity of the woman has not been released.
• A motive is unknown
• Authorities have not revealed how she was discovered, neither the means by which she ended her life.