'God is calling me home,' inmate who died at Regina Correctional Centre wrote in note: inquest

WaylonStarr left multiple suicide notes for those he knew would find his body, the inquest into his death while in the Regina Correctional Centre heard Tuesday.

"Sorry but God is calling me home," Starr wrote in one note.

Another said:"I'll watch over all my family and help them in the spirit world."

Starr died by asphyxiation at the Regina Correctional Centre on Aug. 24, 2017. He was alone in his cell, where he had covered up the window.

Medical personnel tried unsuccessfully to revive the unresponsive man when they discovered him.

No 'red flags'

The day of his death Starr complained of stomach pain, but wasdenied a trip to the medical unit.

Some medical records show Starr denied having mental health issues orsuicidal thoughts.

On his intake form to the secure unit on July 5, Starr said he had tried to commit suicide about a month before that while he was high. He denied having suicidal thoughtsbut checked self-harming behaviours.

Starrtold the nurse that day he had been an inpatient in the psychiatric ward in the past and had seen a doctor, but was not prescribed any medication for mental health issues.

Starr was not treated for any mental health issues while in the secure facility and workers said he didn't show any "red flags."

I got to live with that myself, seeing that image every day and every night.- Justin Amyotte, guard on duty

Model inmate, guard says

Corrections officer Justin Amyottewas assigned to oversee Starr's unit the night he died.

"He's what we would call a model inmate,"Amyottetold the inquiry. "He was polite. He never gave us issues."

At 7:57 p.m., a camera shows Amyotte doing a check of the unit. At 9:00 p.m.,Amyottelogged a check but wasn't seen on camera.

He said he got a visual on all the inmates in their cells from the common area through their large cell windows.

Amyotte said the inmateswere yelling at each other and he told them to quiet down andrememberedseeing Starr at his door.

For two-and-a-half hoursthe guard on duty wasn't seen on camera going down the corridor where Starr's cell was.

At 10:27 p.m., the guard is seen on camera doing another check and lessthan 30 seconds in, he sees that Starr's window is covered with a garbage bag.

No response from Starr's obscured cell

Amyottesaid hetold Starrto take it down buthe receivedno response. Amyotte then asked for assistance to open hisdoor and found Starr unresponsive.

Amyottewas one of three workers who triedCPR on Starr in an attempt to resuscitate. He said he was waiting for Starrto start breathing but that didn't happen.

"I got to live with that myself, seeing that image every day and every night," saidAmyotte, who broke down on the stand. "I remember just sweating and coming out of there just shaking.

"I tried everything. It really hurts I couldn't bring him back," he said.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for investigations of all sudden and unexpected deaths in Saskatchewan.

The purpose of suchinquests is to determine the details surrounding the death. Inquests are not done if coroner says the person's death was due to natural causes and was not preventable.

The coroner's jury may also make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

The inquest into Starr's death,being held at theRegina Court of Queen's Bench building,started Monday and is scheduled to continue until Friday.