The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say Eric Amaral’s death at Warkworth Institution is considered not suspicious.
In an email to CTV News Kitchener, a spokesperson for the OPP said the Northumberland OPP detachment is investigating.
On Feb. 28, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) said Amarl died in custody while serving his sentence at Warkworth Institution.
“The final determination of the cause of death will be made by the coroner,” Mike Shrider, the regional manager of communications with CSC said in an email to CTV News last month. “CSC does not believe that this particular death is linked to COVID-19; however, this incident is still under investigation, and CSC is reviewing the circumstances.”
Amaral was serving an indeterminate sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of 60-year-old Michael Gibbon.
Amaral admitted to using his crossbow to shoot Gibbon on the morning of Oct. 5, 2015.
He pleaded to second-degree murder.
The court heard that Amaral had been “experimenting” with his crossbow for two weeks in his apartment before he took it to Breithaupt Park. He was about to leave when he saw Gibbon – who he did not know – aimed at him and fired a bolt.
Knowing he had injured the stranger, Amaral admitted that he ran from the scene.
On April 6, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison with the ability to apply for parole after 14 years.
