BATON ROUGE - Another East Baton Rouge justice of the peace is the latest subject of a judiciary commission investigation into possible misconduct.

Mark Miley, who has been in the position since 2009, will now have to prove to the commission that he should keep his job.

He is the second justice of the peace in Baton Rouge facing a hearing in front of the Judiciary Commission. Tracy Batieste was temporarily removed from her position in June.

According to the commission's report, the investigation found Miley violated several judicial conduct cannons, engaged in willful misconduct and "persistent public conduct that brings the judicial office into disrepute."

In East Baton Rouge Parish, there are six justices of the peace. Each of them has constables that serve under them.

They are mostly responsible for settling small-claims disputes and evictions, for which they receive a fee that supplements their salaries. Their base salaries average around $5,000 per year.

Terrica Williams is the constable for the city of Baton Rouge, but works for the judges in city court rather than a justice of the peace.

"They are all responsible for the particular area that they work in," Williams said. 

The commission claims Miley intentionally presided over evictions outside of his Ward 3 District 1 jurisdiction.

"If they're out of their area doing certain work that should be done in a particular area, I would assume that it would take money from the (other) person."

The WBRZ Investigative Unit pulled the EBR justices of the peace financial reports for last year.

In 2024, Miley reported he brought in more than $489,000 in court fees. After paying his constable and clerk, he took home over $220,000.

While those court fees are much higher than most of the other justices of the peace, it's slightly less than Larry Spencer and drastically less than Steven Sanders, who collected over $750,000 in court fees.

Sanders took home just shy of $300,000 for himself. Spencer's compensation was around $132,000.  

Here are the total court fees reported for 2024 from each justice of the peace:
Lynda Austin - $1,720
Brooke Peay - $6,465
Tracy Batieste - $120,243
Mark Miley - $489,654
Larry Spencer - $495,188
Steven Sanders - $753,739

The commission also said that Miley knew he didn't have jurisdiction over these cases because when a plaintiff did bring it up, he would grant the objection.

Williams says it's unlikely for a plaintiff to ask about that.

"The average person thinks you're law enforcement, and you're showing up at my house, then you're showing up with good intentions."

Miley nor his attorneys called WBRZ back, his response filed in court claims he has the power to evict anyone regardless of jurisdiction and that he is not required to raise the objection.

His hearing is March 5 and 6. 

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BATON ROUGE - At least 29 new lawsuits have been filed in the 19th Judicial District Court since the original deadline for the "lookback window" passed for victims of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church.  

The deadline, originally set for June 2024, has now been pushed back to June 14, 2027.

In March of 2024, Supreme Court Justices ruled in a 4-3 decision that legislators had violated the state constitution when they removed the statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims and provided victims a temporary window to file lawsuits. In May 2024, the court stated that it would review the decision, and in June, it reversed itself.

Most of the newly filed lawsuits identify clergy members who appeared on the Diocese of Baton Rouge's list of credibly accused individuals, released in 2019. 

Included in these newest lawsuits filed since June of 2024 are:
- John Joseph Berube, St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church  (Deceased)
- Carmelo Camenzuli, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pierre Part (Deceased)
- Rodrigue Hemond, Immaculate Conception Church in Scotlandville & St. Thomas More (Deceased)
- Myles Kearney, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Prairieville (Priestly faculties removed in 2002)
- Clyde Landry, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Gonzales & St. George Catholic Church in Baton Rouge (Deceased)
- Daniel Lemoine, Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs (Priestly faculties removed in 1999)
- Jesse R. Ortego, Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant (Left diocese in 1981)
- Christopher Joseph Springer, St. Pius X Catholic Church in Baton Rouge & St. Gerard Majella Church in Baton Rouge (Laicized in 1990)

The lawsuits also name 12 additional clergy members who were not on the original 2019 list. In the court records, victims as young as five describe the abuse they suffered. The dates of abuse range from 1963 to 1993.

"It takes decades for them to process the trauma they've gone through as children that were sexually abused," Reagan Charleston Thomas, an attorney with the Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis and Overholtz Law Firm, representing a victim in a case. "I'm not surprised by clergymen who do not appear on credibly accused lists, that could be for a variety of reasons, but in no way do I base my assertion of a survivor's story on who is or is not on a credibly accused list."

More than one-third of these new cases have already been settled privately, which allows both the diocese and the victim to avoid a jury trial. No details were provided in the court documents regarding the settlements.

The Lamothe Law Firm is also representing several victims from several different churches.

"Fortunately, in Louisiana, the plaintiff's testimony alone is enough to prove a case, and that's usually the case in sexual assault cases to begin with because they happen behind closed doors," Attorney Julien Lamothe said. "There's one publicly known jury award that we recently secured back in June 2024. The jury awarded $2.4 million in that case. We hope that that kind of serves as a bellwether in most of these cases."

WBRZ reached out to the Diocese of Baton Rouge. A spokesperson said the diocese did not comment on pending litigation.

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UPDATE: Since the airing of this report, Jauan Wright was arrested a fourth time. Eight victims have come forward and his charges now include rape. 

Click here to read the latest from the WBRZ Investigative Unit. 

Read the original story below:

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BATON ROUGE - A 23-year-old man has been arrested three times for allegedly extorting men he slept with and secretly recorded. 

According to court records available to the WBRZ Investigative Unit, at least five victims have contacted law enforcement after sexual encounters with Jauan Wright. 

Several men came forward and told officers they were secretly recorded by Wright, and he threatened to release the videos if they didn't pay up. 

In Feb. 2024, a victim told BRPD officers he had sex with Wright at the Cadence at Southern University apartment complex and then unfollowed him on social media after the encounter. Wright then threatened the victim, saying he would send a video of the encounter to the victim's friends if he didn't follow him back. Two people received screenshots from the footage. 

Wright popped up on LSUPD's radar in September 2025 when he had sex with a student, taped the interaction, and then threatened to release the footage. He was arrested and given a misdemeanor summons for improper telephone communication. 

Documents show three weeks later, on Nov. 18, Wright secretly recorded sex with a different victim at The Villas at Riverbend apartment complex, who unfollowed him on Instagram. The victim said Wright told him he would send the video to the victim's family and friends unless they unblocked him. Police said the tape was sent to the victim's father and three other people. Wright was booked for video voyeurism, extortion and four counts of nonconsensual disclosure of a private image. 

LSUPD took a report less than a week later that Wright had gotten on a dating app posing as a woman and exchanged nude photographs with a male. Wright reportedly threatened to release the pictures unless the victim had sex with him, which he complied with. Afterward, Wright told the victim he had a recording and would send it to the victim's mom if he didn't send him $250. The victim sent the money, but Wright still sent the video to the victim and his mom. 

Wright was also arrested for similar crimes in Berwick. 

In total, Wright was booked with eight counts of nonconsensual disclosure of a private image, three counts of extortion, two counts of video voyeurism and one count of improper telephone communication. 

Sources tell the WBRZ Investigative Unit that there could be more victims who have not come forward to law enforcement yet. 

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ROSELAND — A newly released inspection report by the Environmental Protection Agency shows major red flags in how Smitty's Supply was managed before the fire that destroyed it in August 2025. 

According to the 230-page report, inspectors found more than 25 'areas of concern', including improper storage and disposal of hazardous waste, having damaged or leaky containers and lead batteries, and, while it's not directly mentioned in the list, they also found several drums of unknown material labeled as "radioactive" sitting out in the open.

Inspectors estimated there were more than 200 spills, at least 250 damaged containers, and more than 300 unlabeled or unidentified containers.

Though these findings may be new to the public, the WBRZ Investigative Unit spoke to a former employee several days after the fire, who told us about some of these concerns.

"When I was there, I can't tell you how many incidents there were where something would catch on fire, things would be left in the wrong places..." said the employee, who only wanted to be known by her last name, Padilla. 

"We would have these 55-gallon drums of gas and oils and lubricants and stuff, and they'd just sit to the roof," she said. 

Padilla told us the fire wasn't surprising to her based on her experience there.

"There's an entire warehouse where they put the damaged drums, so instead of dealing with it the right way and disposing of it correctly, they would just shove it into this warehouse, and this warehouse would leak all over the floor. Every time it rained, it would flood with oil and water in there."

Independent tester Scott Smith, with whom we've done several reports, said the new report proves a lot of his own findings from extensive testing of nearby waterways and soil.

"It explains a lot that we are seeing," he said.

Smith's testing has detected the presence of several cancer-causing substances, as far as 50 miles from Smittys, which he believes washed into the waterways after heavy rain.

"If Smitty's had been operated with any semblance of safety standards and regulations, not only would the event have never happened, the event would still not be ongoing."

Earlier this week, the EPA issued a compliance order, demanding that Smitty's stop and clean all spills and releases, and secure any remaining containers within 60 days.

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BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Police Officer Stefan Jones is currently on leave while his case moves through the system.

Jones was arrested last week for misdemeanor sexual battery for allegedly putting his hand on a gas station employee's behind, and it was caught on camera.

We're told the department's internal investigation into his actions was sidelined due to the criminal charges, but should be wrapping up shortly. The results will determine if he keeps his badge.

But as we reported last week, this is not the first time Jones has been investigated by his own department.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit received files detailing some of Jones' disciplinary history, which show two instances of significant policy violations.

The first was in 2019, when Jones was caught on his own body cam trying to intimidate a group of drunken college students outside of Tigerland with his taser. Though he never deployed it, he did arc it several times and threatened to do more if the kids didn't leave.

Investigators concluded that Jones violated three disciplinary codes: command of temper, conduct unbecoming of an officer, and carrying out orders.

He received a 12-day suspension.

In 2021, Jones was again investigated for lying about military orders. As an active member of the Army Reserves, Jones attempted to get a day off from BRPD to go to drill and allegedly produced false documents.

He was found in violation of conduct unbecoming and falsification of documents and given a four-day suspension.

The documents do not include an incident from 2022 when Jones, who was in his police cruiser, allegedly ran into an air conditioning unit at a local business and drove off, causing thousands in damage.

He had another incident in 2025, where he ran into a cyclist at night, sending them to a hospital.

Sources said Jones did not receive any discipline for damaging the AC unit, and it's unclear if anything happened regarding the wreck with the cyclist.

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JACKSON — An inmate who died of a drug overdose at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson was the second unexpected death at the facility this month.

Sources told the WBRZ Investigative Unit on Monday that Tyran Jones, 33, died Dec. 21 from a drug overdose. Two weeks earlier, inmate Kenneth Proctor died unexpectedly. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit has requested data on deaths at Dixon for the entire year of 2025.

The Investigative Unit has previously several deaths at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in Iberville Parish. Data show that 46 inmates have died at Elayn Hunt since January, with 16 of those deaths being "unexpected."

Seven unexpected deaths have occurred at Elayn Hunt in the past three months:

- Rodger Javers, 50, died on Sept. 23 (pre-existing condition)
- Daniel Burton died on Sept. 26 (unexpected)
- Duke Alsobrook, 56, died on Oct. 5 (pre-existing condition)
- Jerry Selvage, 60, died on Oct. 5 (pre-existing condition)
- William Hilton, 62, died on Oct. 7 (pre-existing condition)
- Percy Wallace, 71, died on Oct. 12 (pre-existing condition)
- Edward Bodely, 73, died on Oct. 13 (pre-existing condition)
- Kevon Matthews died on Oct. 16 (unexpected)
- Michael Johnson died on Oct. 17 (unexpected)
- De'Troit Draper, 30, died on Nov. 24 (unexpected)
- Calvin Campbell, 41, died on Dec. 2 (unexpected)
- Justin Rice died on Dec. 7 (unexpected), and
- Antonio Dukes, 38, died on Dec. 24 (unexpected).

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ST. GABRIEL - Video leaked exclusively to the WBRZ Investigative Unit shows an inmate allegedly preparing the deadly drug 'mojo' inside their cell at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center.

Mojo is a synthetic marijuana that is sprayed onto paper, which can be mixed with almost anything, and is suspected to have caused several deaths within the prison just this year.

The new video comes to us just a week after Warden Keithe Turner announced he was stepping down, and just a few days after we showed you some of the drugs that were circulating within the prison.

In the video, the inmate, who asked to be called 'Popeye,' claims the drugs he's preparing are compliments of an EHCC assistant warden.

"Well, one of the wardens over here at Elayn Hunt wanted to make sure everybody had a good Christmas, so he brought me a special little mix of spray to make sure everybody had a good Christmas."

Popeye tells us he buys and sells these drugs inside the prison regularly. 

"We still have families out there that we got to support," he said. 

He told us about how drugs like fentanyl, crystal meth, mojo, and crack have infiltrated EHCC.

"It's a business."

Popeye alleges he gets the drugs directly from Department of Corrections employees, including an assistant warden. 

Since no charges have been filed, the WBRZ Investigative Unit is declining to name that employee - but it’s something we've been hearing from different sources for more than a year now.

In 2020, during COVID, St. Gabriel Police busted Elayn Hunt Cadet Destanie Ruiz with $100,000 worth of drugs, phones, and a pistol.

Last year, a K-9 unit found drugs inside a prison electronic technician's car.

DOC officials have claimed previously that they do not know how the drugs are getting in, because if they did, they would stop it.

DOC once again declined an interview with us. Instead, the department sent the following statement: 

The department takes all deaths in custody, along with any allegations of malfeasance, seriously. Being these deaths are still under investigation, the department does not have any additional statements regarding Elayn Hunt Correctional Center.

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PLAQUEMINE - Former police officer Stacy Paul will no longer be allowed to work in law enforcement in the state of Louisiana after pleading guilty to malfeasance in office.

The 26-year-old was arrested twice in May for seven counts of malfeasance.

Paul worked as an officer in White Castle, New Roads, and St. Gabriel, where he is accused of pawning his service weapon at each of those agencies more than half a dozen times.

Though Paul has not given a reason for his actions, multiple sources have told WBRZ that he was a gambler who frequented casinos.

He pleaded guilty to one count for the charges in Iberville Parish earlier this month and was given three years probation. He still faces five additional counts out of New Roads, which he is scheduled to go to court for in April. 

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ZACHARY - Zachary Police Chief Daryl Lawrence, who also serves as city marshal, was found in contempt of court Thursday.

Sources tell the WBRZ Investigative Unit that a Zachary City Court judge had previously ordered deputy marshals to deliver a check from a civil ruling. When it was not done to the judge's specifications, he held Lawrence in contempt due to his status as head marshal. 

Thursday, Lawrence was ordered by Judge Conachen to pay court fees and complete eight hours of community service. 

Henry Olinde, a lawyer from Zachary PD, says they are evaluating the post-ruling options. 

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What was supposed to be a routine status conference in an inmate's petition for post-conviction relief turned in to something unexpected when the defendant spoke for himself.

Lee Lucas has been in prison for nearly 30 years serving a life sentence for the murder of Eric Howard, but alleges the grand jury paperwork that indicted him is fraudulent.

Presiding Commissioner Kina Kimble said to a packed courtroom Wednesday morning that status conferences "of this magnitude" are rare.

The purpose of the proceedings was for Kimble to get a status update on where both sides are in the case. The state was prepared to discuss it's procedural objections to Lucas' petition.

"I think what was uncovered today is going to be groundbreaking," said Meghan Matt, who represents Lucas in his fifth petition for post conviction relief.

While Matt's job is to speak on her client's behalf as his attorney, Lucas was the one who did most of the talking.

"I know it's unusual for a defense attorney to let their client speak, but I thought it was important that he spoke today for himself. He has done all the work. He has put in all the effort."

Lucas alleges the signature of the grand jury foreperson who signed his murder indictment back in 1997 was forged by Assistant District Attorney Aaron Brooks.

During the conference, questions about the validity of that signature came up, and according to Matt, weren't totally disputed by the state.

"The fact that now officers of the court are on the record before a judge and they could not say that these documents are not forged, and they said everything but that, I think is very telling."

District Attorney Hillar Moore, who had security as he was walking out of the courthouse, says that's because it was not an evidentiary hearing.

"They tried to hijack this and turn it into a hearing about the indictment. The indictment is absolutely a valid indictment. There is no forgery. That allegation is completely bogus, completely made up," Moore said. 

No decisions were reached today, as is normal in a status conference, but Kimble said she will take everything into advisement and render a decision on if there should be an actual evidentiary hearing early next year.

As a Commissioner, Kimble will make a recommendation to a judge, in this case Judge Carson Mercantel. The judge will have the ultimate say-so on if it proceeds.

"If the court orders a hearing, which we believe would be illegal, we will take every action and every remedy that is available to us," Moore said. 

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BATON ROUGE - Though police know who did it, there have been no arrests yet in the stabbing death of Kyle Coleman; that's because the person who allegedly stabbed him may have been acting in self defense.

Coleman was stabbed early Monday morning on North Ardenwood Drive. He drove himself to a different address, where he died on scene.

No names have been released but sources tell the WBRZ Investigative Unit the person who stabbed him is a former romantic partner.

"In situations like this, quite often, you see a history of domestic abuse, and it could be a situation where the defendant possibly is a victim," public defender Steve Sterling said.

A look at the couples history in court shows why.

Coleman had been arrested at least twice before, once in 2024 and once in 2025, for domestic violence with child endangerment, kidnapping and attempted murder charges involving the woman.

In those cases, Coleman was able to plead guilty to lesser charges and was given a suspended sentence and probation by Judge Brad Myers.

That's because the woman, who was the victim in these crimes, asked for certain charges to be dropped both times.

"It is difficult to prosecute these cases because guess what happens? You may hate me today, we may fight today, but tomorrow we're in love and holding hands."

In the arrest from June of this year, the victim was left with visible cuts on her face and a swollen eye.

Sterling says it's more common than you'd think for victims to want to drop charges, but that the DA's office often chooses to prosecute anyway and then have to work with the hand they're dealt.

"Sometimes a plea agreement is the best result, and most often, it is what the victim wants. Sometimes the DA is put in a precarious position where they are forced to resolve the case in that manner because they can't go forward."

it's increasingly the result of fewer and fewer financial resources, Sterling says.

"If the money's just not there, if there's no manpower, if there's no services, if there's no programs to facilitate and help to resolve or prevent some of these problems, then again, this is what will happen."

At the time he was stabbed, Coleman was on probation and had a revocation hearing in January for violating the conditions of his probation when he got arrested in June.

Baton Rouge police are awaiting the results of his autopsy before they make a decision on if the person who stabbed him will be facing charges.

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BATON ROUGE — Lane Kiffin will be paid $13 million annually, the seven-year contract the new LSU head football coach signed says. 

Kiffin, who left Ole Miss over the weekend, will receive a base salary of $400,000, with supplemental compensation totalling $12.6 million, the contract's term sheet obtained through a public records request made by the WBRZ Investigative Unit on Monday says. 

Kiffin's exit from Ole Miss came after disagreements he had with its athletic director over whether he could coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoffs if he took the job at LSU. Under his new contract with LSU, Kiffin is entitled to receive "an amount equal to the amount (he) would have been entitled had he remained head coach" at Ole Miss. 

Per the contract, Kiffin would get $150,000 if Ole Miss makes it to the first round of the CFP, $250,000 for a quarterfinal appearance, $500,000 for a semifinal appearance, $750,000 for an appearance in the National Championship and $1 million if Ole Miss wins that game. 

The contract also says that Kiffin is entitled to a payment to cover the difference between the initial purchase of his Oxford, Mississippi, home and the sale price. According to the contract, both of these benefits will be paid with foundation funds.

The contract says that, if Kiffin's Tigers win an SEC Championship, he will receive an additional $1 million, while participation in the title game nets him $500,000. Winning the College Football Playoffs National Championship game will net Kiffin $3 million in additional compensation, the contract adds. 

If he wins the National Championship, his salary would increase to make him the highest-paid NCAA Division 1 football head coach.

Other incentives outlined in the term sheet include $50,000 if he is named SEC Coach of the Year and $75,000 for National Coach of the Year. 

The departure of LSU's previous coach, Brian Kelly, became a flashpoint in a legal battle over a contract buyout.

In Kiffin's new contract, if he leaves to take another head coaching job, he will pay LSU in liquidated damages. If he leaves before Dec. 31, 2026, Kiffin will pay LSU $7 million, while he would owe $6 million in 2027, $5 million in 2028, $3 million in 2029, $2 million in 2030 and $1.5 million in 2031. 

The payment will be cut in half if Athletic Director Verge Ausberry no longer holds that position, the contract says. 

If LSU terminates Kiffin's contract without cause, it will pay him 80% of his remaining base salary and supplemental compensation. This will be paid out in "equal monthly installments over the remaining term."

If Kiffin is fired for cause by the university, LSU "shall have no obligation to Coach to pay any further amounts beyond the end of the month in which Coach is terminated." The contract says that firing for cause means that Kiffin commits an NCAA Level I offense, fails promptly to report a known violation by another person or commits a material and substantial violation of any LSU policies.

"Any misconduct by Coach involving student-athlete, employee or student safety, any misconduct by Coach resulting in significant reputational damage to LSU, Coach or the football program (as determined in LSU's reasonable discretion), and Coach's failure to report any Title IX, power-based violence or compliance matter as required by policy, rule or law, are not considered minor, technical or otherwise immaterial violation," the contract says.

The contract also says Kiffin will get up to 65 in-flight hours of air transportation for private use, per contract year. He will also get relocation pay, temporary housing, courtesy vehicle, private suite and priority level tickets for all games, parking passes, club membership, family/guest travel, and private air or first-class travel for work-related activities.

WBRZ previously reported that Kiffin was in talks to receive $25 million in NIL-related roster investments, which was not included in the term sheet obtained Monday. 

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It's been three years since Lee Lucas filed an application for post-conviction relief, which he drafted himself from prison.

Now it appears his plea could be heard by a judge.

Lucas has been serving a life sentence for nearly 30 years for the murder of Eric Howard.

He was convicted of murder at trial (11-1). Since then, he's exhausted his appeals.

But he and his new attorney, Meghan Matt, claim what happened with his grand jury indictment before trial is grounds for immediate release.

"I didn't kill Eric Howard, and I think the authorities know I didn't kill Eric Howard," Lucas said. 

There are a lot of things Lucas and his defense said went wrong during his trial, but the crux of their argument is that they claim to have proof that the signature of the grand jury foreperson who signed his murder indictment was forged by ADA Aaron Brooks. Therefore, there never should have been a trial to begin with.

They also allege that Lucas was only indicted for felony in possession of a firearm, according to a handwritten document, but that Brooks and others worked to change it to add second-degree murder. 

"We understand the full gravity of the allegations here," Matt said. "Three handwriting experts, well-renowned, that have scientifically demonstrated, using his known writings to compare it to, and they're saying this is absolutely the same person."

Lucas did most of this work alone in his jail cell with help from family on the outside.

"I just know that they are gonna try and come and say oh well, they're gonna come with an explanation. But you can't explain the different names that were on the indictment," he said.

District Attorney Hillar Moore says there's no doubt in his mind that Lucas is guilty and that his claims are unfounded. He says Lucas and his team are not looking at the right evidence and are interpreting a lot of it incorrectly.

It will be up to Commissioner Kina Kimble to sort out.

She has set a status conference for next Wednesday, where she will hear from both sides about this matter and eventually decide whether there should be a hearing. She will then make her recommendation to Judge Carson Mercantel. 

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BATON ROUGE -- A state employee has reportedly been forced to resign from another government position following an internal investigation.

Jacques Ambers is a familiar face in state government, having served under high-level state officials in the past.

His most recent position was chief of staff for Louisiana Housing Corporation Director Kevin Delahoussaye.

Before that, he was press secretary for then-Attorney General Jeff Landry. He had to resign from both jobs.

In 2019, as press secretary for Landry, Ambers was arrested for allegedly beating his pregnant girlfriend at the time at their Nicholson Drive apartment.

At that time, the Attorney General's office released a statement saying in part, "We are deeply saddened and troubled by the incident last week," and that they take domestic violence seriously. Ambers was allowed to resign.

Those charges were ultimately dismissed, and Ambers was given another high-level job at LHC. Sources tell WBRZ Ambers was recently the subject of an internal investigation.

We're told he was forced to resign from that position last week. LHC confirmed his resignation but did not say why.

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ST. GABRIEL - The Louisiana Department of Corrections is releasing new information about the death of an inmate at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. 

DOC says that 30-year-old inmate Detroit Draper died after an "altercation took place" inside the facility on Nov. 24. 

The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office said Draper was involved in a fight inside his cell with another inmate before collapsing. He was taken to a hospital where he died. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit was the first to report on the death inside the facility. The prison says Draper's official cause of death will be revealed once an autopsy is complete. 

Draper is the fourth inmate to have an unexpected death inside the facility over the last month. Daniel Burton died on Sept. 26, Kevon Matthews died on Thursday, Oct. 16 and Michael Johnson died Friday, Oct. 17.

DOC says six other Elayn Hunt inmates have died in that timeframe, but autopsies were not requested because of "the inmates’ existing medical condition."

- Rodger Javers, 50, died on Sept. 23
- Duke Alsobrook, 56, died on Oct. 5
- Jerry Selvage, 60, died on Oct. 5
- William Hilton, 62, died on Oct. 7
- Percy Wallace, 71, died on Oct. 12
- Edward Bodely, 73, died on Oct. 13

The WBRZ Investigative Unit is looking into additional deaths inside Elayn Hunt that have not been made public by DOC. 

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BATON ROUGE - Despite being indicted for malfeasance in office last month, BREC Assistant Superintendent Reed Richard was still at work until two weeks ago.

On Nov. 6, a week after his grand jury indictment, Richard attended a BREC special commission meeting in an official capacity. The minutes from that meeting list him as a present staff member.

Four days after the meeting, Richard was put on paid administrative leave. His salary is $175,000.

His name was on an email from Nov. 12 about an upcoming meeting, however BREC says it was an automated message sent on his behalf. 

Richard was indicted along with Gary Beard and Jason Hewitt at the end of October on allegations that they conspired to bypass state purchasing laws.

Richard was booked for malfeasance in office, monopolizing trade or commerce, and conspiracy.

Prosecutors say Richard helped Hewitt, of Sustainability Partners, receive a $500,000 contract with the parks department to provide turf and lights without putting the job out for bid.

In a statement from Interim Superintendent Janet Simmons, it appeared the parks agency is standing by Richard during the pending criminal case. 

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BATON ROUGE - Law enforcement in East Baton Rouge Parish is still unraveling how a man with a documented history of domestic-related harassment, who was on active probation, was able to bond out of jail and kill his ex-girlfriend.

Through court records and other reports, the WBRZ Investigative Unit has established a timeline of the events leading up to the stabbing death of 23-year-old Stasy Charles. 

NOV. 4, 2025
8:50 p.m. - Baton Rouge Police officers are dispatched to Charles’ apartment due to a domestic disturbance. The officer was unable to determine who the aggressor was, so Charles was given a summons and Steven Heinrich was taken to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and booked for Battery of a Dating Partner. 

NOV. 5, 2025 
8:37 a.m. - Assistant District Attorney Steve Danielson ran a National Crime Information Center search and found Heinrich had two arrests out of his home state of New York related to violating a protective order. 

9:11 a.m. - Baton Rouge Police submitted a preliminary report on the crime to the District Attorney’s office. 

9:40 a.m. - District Attorney’s Victims Assistance Coordinator spoke with Charles, who reported that she said there were no prior incidents of abuse and denied Heinrich stalking her.

9:50 a.m. - Commissioner Kina Kimble determines there is probable cause for Battery of a Dating Partner.

1 p.m. - During Heinrich’s bond hearing, ADA Danielson informed the court of Heinrich’s previous arrests and prior conviction for violating a protective order. Commissioner Kina Kimble sets a $2,500 bond and orders that Heinrich must obey an additional protective order upon release. 

NOV. 6, 2025 
12 p.m. - An Assistant District Attorney from New York calls BRPD and asks that Heinrich not be able to bond out. They request a hold due to the new arrest, which violated the rules of his probation. 

4:30 p.m. - Heinrich posts bond. The process to be released from Parish Prison begins. 

4:39 p.m. - An arrest warrant from New York authorities for Henrich’s violation of probation is entered into the National Crime Information Center. 

5 p.m. - New York authorities contact the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison to place a hold and not release Heinrich, so he can be extradited. 

6:29 p.m. - The out-of-state warrant was processed into the National Crime Information Center. 

11:03 p.m. - Heinrich is released from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. 

NOV. 7, 2025 
9 a.m. - New York authorities ask BRPD to do a welfare check on Charles. Charles tells officers she has not seen or heard from Heinrich. 

NOV. 13, 2025
2:13 a.m. - Charles is stabbed to death. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit interviewed BRPD Chief T.J. Morse, who said there was nothing his department could have done differently to prevent her death. 

"When we arrest somebody, we put together an affidavit of probable cause. In that affidavit, we outline the elements of the crime - why we are arresting them. That would go up to other parts of the judicial system to look at that past criminal history to determine what their bond should be, whether they should get out of jail, and ultimately what kind of sentencing they should have," he said. 

District Attorney Hillar Moore said the ADA could have requested a hold for Heinrich during his bond hearing, but he says his office struggles getting holds in Commissioner Kimble’s courtroom. 

"Historically, in this type of situation, by this commissioner, bonds are low, and as you can see from cases that day, when we did ask for holds on really egregious cases, they were not given to us."

According to Nov. 5 court records, Kimble allowed a man who was arrested on 25 counts of violation of a protective order the ability to bond out for $20,000.

Moore says things will change in how his office runs background checks going forward.

"I think that what this probably should teach everyone, you want to learn from whatever this experience will show. Regardless of where they're from, you should do whatever it is extra,” he said. “Regardless of what the case before you looks like, however small it may look at the time, it can be something that's much more."

WBRZ reached out to Commissioner Kimble's office and New York authorities. Neither have returned our calls. 

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BATON ROUGE - A convicted thief who was arrested on more than a dozen charges of filing false public records was arrested again on Tuesday. 

Vallery "Val" Thierry has been the subject of multiple WBRZ Investigative Unit reports for filing fake bonds through his business, Extreme Private Investigation and Bail Bonds, after his bondsman license lapsed. 

New arrest documents say Thierry was trying to access a records service in February 2025 while using an expired Louisiana Private Investigators License number. He allegedly uploaded a copy of his license, which had been altered to change the expiration year from 2022 to 2026. The access request also included a copy of his driver's license, mortgage bill, and it was sent from his email address.

During a conversation with law enforcement, Thierry claimed that his computer had been hacked before admitting that he physically altered the license to use it for background checks. 

He was booked on one count of forgery.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit spoke to a victim in 2022. A woman paid Thierry $2,060 to bail her son out of jail. At that point, Thierry's license had expired, was suspended and had been canceled by the Louisiana Department of Insurance. He didn't help her and kept the money. 

She filed a complaint with the Department of Insurance. Investigators looked at her case and others, finding that Thierry had signed, filed and executed bonds for 18 different cases while he was unlicensed. He was indicted for 18 counts of filing false public records and one count of felony theft on Aug. 18, 2022. 

Thierry, an Army veteran, was put into Veteran's Treatment Court.

During a hearing in Judge Ronald Johnson's courtroom on Sept. 19, 2024, Thierry negotiated a plea deal, and each count of filing false public records was dismissed. He pleaded guilty to felony theft and received a sentence of five years in prison, which was suspended. Judge Johnson sentenced him to three years of supervised probation while attending mental health treatment, staying drug and arrest-free and ordered him to pay $2,060 in restitution to the victim. 

According to court records, Thierry was scheduled for an exit meeting in October and a review of his case on Nov. 11. 

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The WBRZ Investigative Unit has obtained more documents showing the rocky relationship history that led to two deaths last week.

According to Baton Rouge Police, 28-year-old Steven Heinrich stabbed 23-year-old Stasy Charles to death before crashing his car and setting himself on fire.

Court documents show Charles had tried to protect herself from Heinrich multiple times before her death.

In a protective order request filed in October in family court, Charles says Heinrich was physically abusive. On a form, she checked boxes indicating he punched, shoved, and threatened her life with a weapon. However, in her written description of the abuse, she did not mention violence. Instead, she stated he was relentlessly harassing and stalking her and her family through social media.

Read previous Investigative Unit story detailing another family's encounter with Heinrich here. 

Heinrich was not served with that initial protective order by Charles because officers couldn't find him.
The matter was ultimately dismissed because Charles did not appear in court.

A month later, Heinrich was arrested for misdemeanor domestic abuse against Charles, and she was granted a protective order then. In the police report, Charles told officers Heinrich had been beating her all day. Police noted cuts on her right side and bruising on her stomach. 

Heinrich claimed he was defending himself and was not the aggressor. He was issued a $2,500 bond by Commissioner Kina Kimble. A week later, he stabbed Charles to death.

At that hearing, prosecutors told Commissioner Kimble that Heinrich had been arrested twice before out of state - once for criminal mischief and again for violating a protective order.

However, we don't know how much detail was given on those previous cases.

According to ADA Tracey Barbera, while they had access to his rap sheet showing those previous arrests, several protective orders filed in New York were not listed in the evidence presented to the court.

Baton Rouge Police made note of the existing protective orders in their press release about Charles' death after the fact.

District Attorney Hillar Moore, who is currently out of the country, did not want to comment until he has all the facts in this case, but said that his office is looking into it.

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