Former Charlotte Teacher Found Dead in North Carolina Prison; Inmate Charged with Murder

Ernest Nichols, 60, a former Charlotte physical education teacher, was found dead in his cell at Greene Correctional Institution on October 5. Nichols was serving a 15-year sentence for statutory rape and was scheduled for release in 2027. Prison staff discovered him unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m.

Two days later, inmate Wilbert Baldwin, 41—already serving time for a 2010 second-degree murder conviction—was charged with Nichols’ murder and is being held without bond. Both inmates were housed in the same section of the facility.

Nichols had been suspended without pay from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in 2009 following misconduct allegations and was convicted in 2011. His death adds to ongoing concerns over violence within North Carolina prisons.

Authorities continue to investigate the case and urge anyone affected by sexual abuse to seek support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or online at online.rainn.org.