Although David Tshiteya Kalubi was officially laid to rest Saturday afternoon at a private memorial, questions still linger for his parents in the wake of their 23-year-old son’s unforeseen death while in Montreal police custody earlier this month.
The mysterious circumstances of Kalubi’s death have become the subject of an inquiry by Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations, and the results of a coroner’s report may be months-- even a year-- in the making.
Kalubi was arrested at 10:40 p.m. the night before his death on an outstanding warrant while walking in his neighbourhood of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Police would not confirm the contents of the warrant, but did confirm it was related to a municipal offense.
Kalubi was then brought to a police holding cell, where he spent the night.
On the morning of November 8, his motionless body was found on the floor of the cell at Montreal’s municipal courthouse.
Kalubi lost consciousness approximately 90 minutes after a transfer to the courthouse, where his cell was reportedly shared by a dozen other detainees.
After several rounds of CPR in an ambulance proved unsuccessful, Kalubi was pronounced dead in hospital at 9:55 a.m.
However, Kalubi’s parents are still searching for answers as to the exact cause of their son’s premature death – they say he suffered from a blood disorder and wonder whether his illness directly impacted the outcome that night.
Sickle cell anemia, a disorder that distorts and weakens red blood cells, can lead to various acute and chronic complications—including risk of stroke, bacterial infection, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic kidney failure, among others.
Approximately 90 per cent of those diagnosed with sickle cell will survive to age twenty, though experts say a specific life expectancy is still unknown.
A lawyer representing the family told CTV Montreal that an “official” source disclosed that Kalubi’s death was natural – but police remain mum on the details of the incident.
“Sickle cell anemia can provoke crisis, and you have to help really rapidly when these crises occur,” family lawyer Virginie Dufresne-Lemire explained.
“We went to know if it’s related to his death – and if he asked for help, if help was given to him,” she said.
And despite the medical hurdle, Dufresne-Lemire said that Kalubi “had a lot of projects,” a girlfriend, and was excited to start a new job.
Kalubi’s cellmates at the time of his death were transferred to a command center for interrogation, and are no longer considered suspects.
Other factors in the young man’s death are still to be determined – whether or not the detainee asked for help, and whether police could have acted to save his life, for example.
A lawsuit cannot be filed, or even considered, until an official autopsy report is released.
"For now, there are too many questions -- unanswered questions," Dufresne-Lemire said.
