Incarcerated person dies after incident with cellmate at Green Bay Correctional Institution

A Green Bay Correctional Institution watch tower and guard. (Photo | Isiah Holmes)

Micah Laureano, a 19-year-old who was incarcerated at Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI) died Tuesday night following an incident involving his cellmate, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections told the Examiner.

Beth Hardtke, the department’s communications director, told the Examiner over email that no staff were injured, and the incident took place at 9:30 p.m. She said the institution is operating normally with all scheduled programming and activities.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office said the victim and suspected assailant, Jackson Vogel, 24, were cellmates and the incident happened in their cell. Hardtke said both individuals involved in the incident were in temporary lockup status.

“The suspect and victim had occupied the same cell for only hours before the incident,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the victim was beyond help and pronounced dead at the scene, and the initial death investigation led to what is now being considered a homicide investigation. The medical examiner’s findings confirmed Laureano “died of strangulation/suffocation by manner of homicide,” the sheriff’s office said. Filing of formal charges is expected late next week.

According to court records, Vogel was found guilty of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Laureano was found guilty of taking and driving a vehicle without consent and as party to a crime for substantial battery intending bodily harm, robbery with use of force and first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Jordan Coombe, who is currently incarcerated at GBCI, said he observed the prison’s response to the incident. He thinks having single cells would cut down on conflict in the prison.

“That’s what needs to happen here if they want things to change… less assaults will happen, less fights will happen, less everything,” Coombe said. “…I go to the shower, I go to rec. You rarely ever see issues. You see a lot of people getting pulled out of double cells and going up to segregation.”

Green Bay Correctional Institution returned to normal operations in late July. Incarcerated people say problems persist in the prison, the Examiner reported on August 20.

This story has been updated.

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