Markus Lanieux Jr.
Markus Lanieux Jr., 22, was held at Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Cottonport, Louisiana, for less than three weeks when he died on September 6, 2023. Prison officials told his family he died by apparent suicide by hanging with a bedsheet but would not give details, and the death remains under investigation by the Avoyelles Parish coroner. His family has questioned how he could have died while held in segregation, a highly monitored unit. An evidence bag containing the bedsheet was mistakenly sent to the funeral home with his body, which the family says deepened their distrust of the investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed). The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections told the family he died by apparent suicide by hanging, but the family has questioned how he could die that way in a highly monitored segregation unit while the coroner's investigation remains open.
Reported by: Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (prison warden, per family) (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.