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West Baton Rouge Parish Jail sees fourth inmate death this year

5 hours 28 minutes 33 seconds ago Monday, September 08 2025 Sep 8, 2025 September 08, 2025 7:22 PM September 08, 2025 in News
Source: WBRZ

PORT ALLEN — Smuggled-in drugs continue to cause serious problems in what is supposed to be a secure facility.

26-year-old Nicholas Henderson was found dead in his lockdown isolation cell Sunday at the West Baton Rouge Parish Jail. Henderson's is the fourth inmate death in the facility this year.

Ryan Moreau, in March, was the first. He died after taking an unknown substance. Two other inmates were arrested for his death.

In May, Unterio Lewis died from an overdose of cocaine and fentanyl.

In August, Jeremy Paul and two other inmates were found unresponsive in their cells after taking mojo. Paul died. WBRZ spoke to Paul's partner.

"I do feel that the drugs shouldn't be in the facility, however it got there, and however the other two inmates survived the same drugs that Jeremy took. I would like for them to be investigated as well," said Shingo Edwards. 

Nicholas Henderson, the same man found dead in his cell Sunday morning, was charged in Paul's death for providing the mojo.

According to the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, Henderson was involved in a bad fight on Friday that sent another inmate to the hospital. Deputies said that on Sunday morning, Henderson was given his breakfast and showed no signs of distress; however, just a couple of hours later, he was found unresponsive. They were not able to resuscitate him.

It's unclear who the injured inmate is, or his condition, but Henderson had been moved to an isolation cell with another inmate after the fight.

The sheriff's office declined any interviews on Monday, but did say in a news release about Henderson's death that they have conducted several shakedowns at the jail lately.

According to the release, those shakedowns resulted in "several arrests and the removal of contraband."

There is no official cause of death for Henderson yet, as a full autopsy is pending.

Right now, the sheriff's office is actively investigating how drugs keep getting inside the facility.

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