An inmate at the Drumheller Institution has been charged with murder after another inmate died in custody following an altercation.
The Mail reported that on the evening of January 26, inmate Jeffrey Ryan was the victim of a serious and allegedly unprovoked assault. The assailant has been identified and action was taken.
No staff members or other inmates were injured during this incident. Ryan sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital where he died.
At the time, Ryan had been serving a sentence of three years, two months, and five days for possessing a weapon contrary to prohibition order, possessing a firearm knowing unauthorized, and possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking since April 2, 2019.
The RCMP responded at approximately 8:40 p.m., and the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit undertook the investigation.
An autopsy has been ordered by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and will be performed in the coming days.
Ashley Baird, 38, of Nanaimo, B.C. has been charged with second-degree murder and will be appearing in Drumheller provincial court on Friday, February 11.
As these matters are before the courts, no further details surrounding the incident can be released.
