Huge search for contraband unfolds at Angola after two inmates die from drug overdose
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ANGOLA - Two inmates in a maximum security unit at the state's notorious penitentiary were found dead in what appears to have been a drug overdose.
The state confirmed what sources had told WBRZ and the station previously reported first on WBRZ.com earlier Thursday.
John Hatfield, 31, and Kenneth LaCoste, 42, died. The men were housed in the same tier at the prison, officials said.
Hatfield was serving a life sentence from Southwest Louisiana for murder. LaCoste was serving a ten-year sentence for being a habitual drug offender. He was convicted in Orleans Parish and was scheduled for release in 2022.
Numerous sources spoke with WBRZ Chief Investigator Chris Nakamoto Thursday morning.
However, state officials said the inmates' cause of death is under investigation and autopsies will be performed.
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