Donald Musselman, who’s already serving a life sentence for the murder of a local musician, pleaded guilty earlier this week to killing another inmate at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC).
Musselman, 23, was awaiting trial for second-degree murder when the fatal jailhouse beating occurred in February 2021.
The 23-year-old was was found guilty in December 2023 of second-degree murder in the death of Markland Campbell, 42, also known by his stage name Jahiant (pronounced “giant”) Jahh in 2019. In May, Musselman was sentenced to life in prison for that crime.
His conviction in the jailhouse beating death of Zakaria Sheek-Hussein now adds another eight years to his sentence.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Musselman and Sheek-Hussein engaged in a “consensual fight” inside a washroom at OCDC. After about a minute, both men exited the washroom without apparent injuries.
Earlier this week at the Ottawa Courthouse, Musselman pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of another inmate at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)
A few hours later, a second altercation occurred between the two men in the same washroom. CCTV footage showed Musselman, visible through a frosted bathroom window, “stomping on something several times in front of the shower area.”
Musselman then exited the washroom, but Sheek-Hussein did not emerge. Nine minutes later, a correctional worker found the inmate unresponsive on the floor.
Court records describe Sheek-Hussein as having “obvious injuries to his face, neck, and head. His eyes were swollen, his ears and face were bruised, and his mouth was bloodied.”
Sheek-Hussein was taken to hospital but never recovered, dying five months later at the age of 27.
Musselman was initially charged with aggravated assault for the beating, but the charge was upgraded to second-degree murder after Sheek-Hussein’s death. Musselman pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario investigates all inmate deaths in the province, but an inquest into Sheek-Hussein’s death has not yet been scheduled.
