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Family of inmate stabbed to death says prison not answering questions
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JACKSON - The family of an inmate killed at Dixon Correctional is searching for answers about what happened to their loved one and who is being held accountable for his death.
According to the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office, 39-year-old Cornelius Kelly was stabbed to death in the prison yard early Tuesday morning.
His family told the WBRZ Investigative Unit the past 24 hours have been traumatic. A relative who wanted to remain anonymous is trying to help Kelly's mother get answers.
On Tuesday morning, Kelly's mother received a call from the prison chaplain saying that her son was found unconscious.
"We all just assumed that maybe it had been some medical, maybe he had a heart attack or stroke, whatever, medical reason," said his relative.
The relative says an hour or so later, she saw our report about an inmate being stabbed to death at Dixon.
"We were just like what is the coincidence that two inmates died this morning?"
It wasn't until they got a call from a stranger that they knew it was Kelly.
"Somebody on the inside, one of the inmates, called their family who informed us that it was indeed him that got stabbed."
According to the relative, Kelly's mother was told to come to the prison this morning to get more information, however, it's not clear by whom. She says when they arrived they were immediately met with hostility from a prison official.
"My cousin died, my aunt's child died, like this is our family member and we want to know what happened because she was told that he was found unconscious, and we're seeing on the news that somebody was stabbed. He was like 'Yeah, he was stabbed.'"
She says the official could not provide any additional details, including the location of Kelly's body.
"He told us we had to leave."
Kelly had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life, mostly for burglary-related crimes. His relative says he was never violent and did not deserve to die behind bars.
"Even though he's in prison, I still cannot believe nobody has shown a lick of empathy, compassion, none of it."
The family is confused about why it's been so difficult to get answers about their loved one's death.
"If there is no fault of the prison then why are we met with such aggression when we are just trying to figure out answers?"
She says the lack of transparency is causing even more questions to arise.
"How did this even happen? What was he stabbed with? Where was the weapon? Did they find it? All of these questions need answers because this is not adding up. Nothing is adding up. Nobody is giving us any information and, to me, it just seems like a cover-up or the beginning of a cover-up."
The East Feliciana Sheriff's Office is investigating along with the State Police Crime Lab and investigators from Dixon Correctional. No charges related to Kelly's death have been announced.
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