Greece man convicted of 2016 stabbing dies after altercation with staff at Marcy Correctional Facility

UTICA, N.Y. — A Greece man, 43-year-old Robert Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for a 2017 assault, recently died following an altercation involving staff at Marcy Correctional Facility.

Brooks was convicted of stabbing a woman on Wood Hill Drive in Greece. The Commissioner of the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision reported that a staff member at the facility near Utica used force against Brooks on Monday, Dec. 9.

Brooks died from his injuries on Dec. 10 at 3:52 a.m. at Wynn Hospital in Utica.

The names of those involved in the incident have not been released. All staff members connected to the event are currently on administrative leave.

An investigation is ongoing and the official cause of death has not been released.

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III said:

“As a result of a use of force by staff at Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9, 2024, an incarcerated individual was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased on December 10th. Given the circumstances of the incident, I ordered an immediate investigation by the Department’s Office of Special Investigations, as well as notifying the New York State Police and the New York State Attorney General. As an agency, we take our mandate and obligation to protect our community and all of the individuals in our care extremely seriously. There is no place for, and I will not tolerate, violence in our correctional facilities. In response to this incident, I have placed all staff members involved on administrative leave pending the results of this ongoing investigation. As an agency, we will continue to transparently work with law enforcement and internal stakeholders on this matter.”