Wayde Sims' Murderer Found Dead Inside Prison Cell: Was Foul Play Involved?
Wayde Sims' killer, Dyteon Simpson, was found dead inside his prison cell following his recent sentencing.
Baton Rouge informed local news outlets, including The Advocate, about Simpson's passing. The 23-year-old was reportedly found unresponsive on Sunday, 8:00 p.m, at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
According to sheriff's spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks, medical staff immediately responded to the scene to revive the killer, but Simpson was later pronounced dead.
The East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office took his body and underwent a preliminary toxicology report. They later confirmed that Dyteon Simpson's cause of death would be determined at a later date, although they suspect that it was an apparent drug overdose after finding fentanyl in his system.
Meanwhile, KSLA disclosed that the deputies also launched a probe into potential contraband as a factor in Simpson's death, but a foul play was not being considered.
His sudden passing came only a day after his sentencing on Thursday. He was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. His attorney, Margaret Lagutta, and the team filed an appeal per standard procedure.
In Louisiana, a second-degree murder conviction automatically results in a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Simpson initially pleaded not guilty in 2019 but remained in jail due to the potential charge he was facing.
What Happened to Wayde Sims?
Simpson's sentencing and death came nearly four years since Sims died in 2018.
ESPN reported that the basketball star was killed in a shooting near the Southern University campus after he was shot during an altercation.
A video of the incident went viral, showing a group of men fighting outside a Subway restaurant. A gunshot can also be heard in the clip while Sims fell down to the ground as other men started fleeing the scene.
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LSU coach Will Wade issued a statement regarding Sims' passing, expressing how devastated and broken the whole team was.
"Besides the fact he had the best impression of me on the team, he was just an unbelievable person and was continuing to grow and had just done a great job building a bridge with our team. That's what makes it so tough for all of us, and for our team as well, is everybody liked him. Anybody he came in contact with, automatically just loved him, loved his personality," part of his message said.
Sims' father, Wayne Sims, famously played basketball at LSU, as well, from 1987 to 1991.
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