Date set for coroner’s inquest into Samuel Brown’s death

A date has been announced for a coroner’s inquest into the 2018 death of a teenager who was in the care of a government-run school for blind students in Brantford.

Samuel Brown was an 18-year-old blind, deaf and non-verbal student who attended W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind. He died overnight on Feb. 9, 2018 in a hospital.

There are conflicting conclusions on his cause of death as the initial coroner’s report suggested he died of natural causes, while an autopsy pointed to pneumonia.

Public outcry led to an inquest into Brown’s death taking place virtually in 2020. However, it was postponed to address accessibility concerns and provide more time to explore evidence without the constraints of a virtual environment.

READ MORE: Motion hearing date set for inquest into Samuel Brown’s death

Brown’s family pushed for another inquest earlier this year, calling on the coroner’s office to announce a start date by Feb. 9, which was the fifth anniversary of his death.

Dr. Karen Schiff, regional supervising coroner for West Region, Hamilton Office, announced Tuesday that the inquest has been set for 10 a.m. on Aug. 28.

In a statement, Schiff says the inquest is expected to last 10 days and hear from approximately 13 witnesses.

It will examine the circumstances around Brown’s death and a jury could make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths.

Dr. David Cameron will be the presiding officer and Maria Stevens will be inquest counsel.

WATCH MORE: 5 years later, family still seeks answers surrounding son’s death at Brantford boarding school