Inmate Charged with Murder in Prison Killing of Disgraced Teacher Ernest Nichols
A disgraced former middle school teacher, Ernest Nichols, who was serving time for the repeated rape of a teenage girl, was killed in his prison dormitory, leading to a murder charge against a fellow inmate already convicted of homicide.
The Fatal Morning
MAURY, N.C. – A violent death at a North Carolina state prison has drawn attention to the fates of two convicted felons. Ernest Nichols, the 60-year-old former gym teacher imprisoned for statuary rape, was found dead in his dormitory on the morning of October 5, 2025 .
Officials discovered Ernest Nichols unresponsive beside his bunk at the Greene Correctional Institution at approximately 6:49 a.m. . Prison staff immediately initiated emergency life-saving procedures, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Emergency medical services personnel pronounced the inmate deceased at 7:22 a.m. . The state prison was subsequently placed on a temporary lockdown as authorities launched an investigation into the incident, which was quickly classified as a homicide .
An Arrest in the Case
The investigation moved swiftly, culminating in an arrest just two days after the killing. On October 7, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) issued a murder warrant for Wilbert Baldwin, a 41-year-old fellow inmate at Greene Correctional .
Baldwin is already a convicted killer, serving a 20-year sentence for a second-degree murder conviction dating back to 2010 in Richmond County . The Greene County Sheriff’s Office served Baldwin with the new murder warrant, and he was given no bond . Authorities have since moved Baldwin to Maury Correctional Institution, another facility within Greene County . The NCSBI, which is leading the investigation, has stated that a full report is pending the completion of the autopsy on Ernest Nichols .
The Crimes of Ernest Nichols
The death of Ernest Nichols marks a violent end for a man whose fall from grace began over a decade ago. Nichols was a gym teacher at Ranson Middle School in Charlotte for 14 years before his arrest in 2009 .
His career ended abruptly when he was accused of and later pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl in 2011 . The victim, who was not a student at his school, endured a six-month period of abuse starting in the fall of 2008 . Court documents revealed that Ernest Nichols used manipulative tactics, including impersonating his own teenage son on social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace to send the victim sexually explicit messages .
According to arrest warrants, his misconduct included making inappropriate requests and watching the teenager have consensual sex with others . He reportedly instructed the girl to tell people their encounters were consensual . When the victim’s mother confronted him, Nichols described himself as a “pig” during the conversation . Police later recovered videotapes, a camera, and other evidence from his home . Initially facing a staggering 27 charges, Nichols ultimately pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with a projected release date of September 2027 .
Prison Safety and the Path Forward
The killing inside Greene Correctional Institution, a state facility characterized as a minimum-security prison with dormitory-style housing, raises immediate questions about inmate safety and violence . The fact that a convicted murderer like Wilbert Baldwin was able to allegedly kill another inmate suggests potential breakdowns in supervision or classification.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has stated it is fully cooperating with the State Bureau of Investigation . As the investigation continues, officials are awaiting the autopsy results to determine the exact cause and manner of the death of Ernest Nichols . This case highlights the ongoing challenges prison systems face in managing violent offenders and protecting those in their custody, regardless of the crimes they have committed.