A former middle school teacher serving time for sexually abusing a 15-year-old student was killed in prison by another inmate in Maury, North Carolina.
The Incident
According to Local 12, Ernest Nichols, 60, was found dead near his bunk at the Greene Correctional Institution around 6:50 a.m. on October 5. Two days later, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office charged Wilbert Baldwin, another inmate, with Nichols’ murder. Baldwin has been serving a sentence for second-degree murder since his 2010 conviction.
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Background On Nichols’ Conviction
Nichols was convicted of statutory rape in 2011 after repeatedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl over six months beginning in 2008. Court documents revealed that he created a fake Facebook account using his teenage son’s identity to contact the victim.
Investigators said Nichols used the account to message the teen, asking her to write sexually explicit stories and text him when she was in the shower. He also instructed her to tell others their encounters were consensual if questioned.
Prison Investigation
Officials have not released additional details about the motive behind the prison killing. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction confirmed that the case remains under investigation, and Baldwin is expected to face additional charges.