By Scott Bauer
Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. — An 18-year-old inmate who pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of a prison counselor at a Wisconsin juvenile prison was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison.
Rian Nyblom pleaded guilty in April to two counts of being a party to the crime of battery by a prisoner. As part of a plea deal, the original charge of felony murder with special circumstances was reduced. An additional charge of battery by a prisoner was dismissed.
Corey Proulx, 49, was a youth counselor at the Lincoln Hills-Copper Lakes juvenile prison when he was punched multiple times by a 16-year-old inmate, fell and hit his head on the pavement in June 2024. He died a day later.
According to prosecutors, the 16-year-old inmate was upset at a female guard whom he felt was abusing her power. He threw a cup of what he thought was soap at her and repeatedly punched her. The inmate then ran into the courtyard and Proulx followed to stop him.
The complaint said the 16-year-old then punched Proulx multiple times, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the pavement.
Nyblom told investigators that he knew the 16-year-old was upset with the female guard and wanted to splash her with conditioner and then start punching her, according to a criminal complaint. Nyblom said about 15 minutes before the fighting began he got extra soap and conditioner from guards and secretly gave it to the 16-year-old, the complaint alleged. Nyblom said that he didn’t see the 16-year-old punch the female guard but he watched as the boy punched Proulx and Proulx hit his head, according to the complaint.
Nyblom’s attorney, Joseph L. Bauer, didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment following the sentencing Wednesday.
Nyblom was sentenced to five years in prison, minus 405 days already served, by Lincoln County Circuit Judge Galen Bayne-Allison. He was relocated from the juvenile prison to the Lincoln County Jail last year.
Nyblom was sent to Lincoln Hills a month before Proulx was killed after being charged with criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He pleaded no contest to both charges in May and was found guilty.
The other inmate, who is now 17 years old, faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide and two counts of battery by prisoners. He pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and a trial is set to begin in February.
He has been charged as an adult but The Associated Press is not naming him because his attorneys could seek to move the case back into juvenile court, where proceedings are secret.
