Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson was a rapper who released albums and radio singles from 1994 onward and had a record deal with UGK Records, and he worked hard to provide for his daughters. He died of cancer on February 18, 2019, at Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Cottonport, Louisiana, where he was held by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Friends said he had stage four pancreatic cancer, and that his family had tried for months to get him treatment. Warden W.S. McCain said Johnson had asked to be released to spend his final days with loved ones, that compassionate release paperwork had been filed, and that he died before it was approved and without pain. His family disputes the warden's account, saying he was in severe pain before he died.

Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the warden say he died of stage four pancreatic cancer, while his family disputes the account, saying he was in severe pain before he died and that treatment was not obtained for months.

Reported by: Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (the agency that held him); warden W.S. McCain (the agency that held him); Kevin Victorian, friend (family or their lawyers); family; Hot 107.9, citing sources closely connected with the family (reporters).

Custody: Serving a sentence, held about 3 years. The illness that caused the death began in custody, the facility reported.

Sources (6)

• Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, deaths in 2019 (data file) Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, death data files
• Incarceration Transparency, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Louisiana Deaths Behind Bars Incarceration Transparency, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, deaths behind bars
• Incarceration Transparency, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Louisiana Deaths Behind Bars, via UCLA Law Behind Bars UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project, deaths in custody
• Local Rapper Eric ‘Vicious’ Johnson Dies Of Cancer While Incarcerated Hot 107.9, February 19, 2019
• Reports: Lafayette rapper Eric 'Vicious' Johnson dies from cancer in prison The Advocate, February 20, 2019
• A life lost to prison: Louisiana rapper dies of cancer while serving time for unusual conviction The Advocate, March 1, 2019