Convicted teacher who raped teen killed in North Carolina prison
Ernest Nichols, 60 — a former middle‑school gym teacher convicted in 2011 of repeatedly raping a 15‑year‑old — was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at Greene Correctional Institution on Sunday morning. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation issued a murder warrant for fellow inmate Wilbert Baldwin, 41, who was served the warrant, given no bond and returned to custody; Baldwin previously had a 2010 second‑degree murder conviction. Authorities say an autopsy is pending as the state continues its probe.
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📌 Key Facts
- Ernest Nichols, 60, was found unresponsive in his cell at Greene Correctional Institution Sunday morning (~6:50 a.m.) and pronounced deceased at 7:22 a.m.
- The NCSBI issued a murder warrant for inmate Wilbert Baldwin, 41; Baldwin was served the warrant, held without bond and returned to Department of Adult Correction custody.
- Nichols was convicted of statutory rape in 2011 (pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2011; sentenced to 216–269 months) and had been serving time with a projected release in September 2027; Baldwin had a prior 2010 second‑degree murder conviction in Richmond County.
- Authorities (NCDAC and NCSBI) are awaiting autopsy results and have said the matter is under active investigation.