Man charged with murder after death of patient at Campbellton psychiatric hospital
Victim Ronald Savoy, 49, was awaiting trial for murder, which was delayed by his mental illness
RCMP have charged a 26-year-old man with murder after the death of a patient at a northern New Brunswick secure psychiatric hospital.
On Tuesday, Jordan Shawn Deyoung of Moncton was charged with killing Ronald Savoy.
Deyoung appeared in Campbellton provincial court to face a second-degree murder charge, according to RCMP news release, and has been remanded into custody.
Deyoung was charged nearly four months after 49-year-old Savoy was killed.
Savoy himself was being held at the Restigouche Hospital Centre while awaiting trial for murder when he was assaulted and later died of his injuries. He died just a few weeks before his trial, which was delayed by his mental illness and inability to understand proceedings.
RCMP continue to decline to name the medical facility where Savoy was assaulted. The Vitalité Health Network previously confirmed that Savoy was a patient at Restigouche, and that the assault happened there, but has also declined to say how he was assaulted or by whom.
The RCMP news release does not give any detail about the assault or say why Deyoung was at Restigouche — whether he was a patient, visitor or staff member.
Assault dates back to the fall
In the news release, RCMP said they began investigating the assault on Savoy on Nov. 16, 2022. They arrested Deyoung on Nov. 29 in connection with what was "aggravated assault" at the time. In November, Savoy was still alive but in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
On Dec. 23 Savoy died, escalating the investigation from assault to homicide.
RCMP announced Savoy's death and said a man was arrested, but they had not provided any more updates on the case until Thursday.
According to Vitalité Health Network, the Restigouche Hospital Centre serves people with complex psychiatric illnesses. It provides medium- and long-term psychiatric rehabilitation, as well as forensic examinations for criminal responsibility and fitness to stand trial.
Before he died, Savoy was facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of Serge Chamberlain.
Issues around Savoy's fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility were prominent in the proceedings, which began in the summer of 2021.
After he died, the Crown withdrew the charge against Savoy.
Deyoung is scheduled to return to court on April 24.
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