The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said Dyteon Simpson, the man convicted of killing LSU basketball star Wayde Sims, was found dead in prison.
On Sunday, July 10 shortly before 8 p.m., deputies were informed of an unresponsive man in a cell.
Medical staff responded and rendered aid but authorities say 23-year-old Dyteon Simpson was later pronounced dead. Simpson was sentenced to life in prison for the 2018 killing of Wayde Sims on Thursday, July 7, just months after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.
“This is sad any time someone loses their life, you know with young Wayde and now another person is now dead. I mean anytime someone loses their life regardless of who they are, where they are it’s sad,” said District Attorney Hillar Moore.
The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office took Simpson’s body and a preliminary toxicology report came back positive for Fentanyl.
“It is really unexpected and I am not sure how the families are taking it. I am sure in different ways. Everyone is still kind of grieving for the initial loss, now we have another loss,” added Moore.
Officials say the coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the final cause of death. Deputies report they are investigating the possibility of contraband being a factor in the man’s death.
Tanja Myles, a certified addiction specialist, has been tracking overdoses in East Baton Rouge Parish. She says she is not surprised to hear about fentanyl overdoses in jail.
“Again, we have been trying to bring awareness on how dangerous fentanyl is and how it’s all over the place. I think what this just does, it sheds light that fentanyl is real and that it can show up in places that most people think they wouldn’t show up in,” said Myles.
Moore says Simpson was going through the appeal process.
The Supreme Court is currently deciding whether someone or anyone on their behalf has the right to continue with the appeal process if the convict dies.
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