Youth counselor dies after attack at Lincoln Hills School

Second supervisor injured, two teenagers charged with murder

TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

Two youth counselors were attacked at Lincoln Hills School in Irma on Monday evening, June 24, 2024, and one counselor has since died from injuries sustained in the attack. Corey Proulx, 49, was pronounced dead at 3:39 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25. He was declared brain dead and the family donated his organs to allow others the gift of life. “There were brain injuries that were incompatible with the loss of life,” said Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor. An autopsy will be performed after the organ donation, she said.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), at approximately 7:47 p.m., Lincoln County 911 received a call from Lincoln Hills School staff reporting that a student had attacked two staff members and one of the staff members had collapsed. At the scene, emergency response teams sprang into action and performed CPR on Proulx until police and medical personnel arrived, a source said. He was then flown by helicopter to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for serious injuries. He never regained consciousness.
A 25-year-old, unidentified female employee was also taken to Aspirus Merrill Hospital, where she was treated and released and is expected to make a full recovery, the LCSO said.
A June 25 press release from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) stated: “A staff member was assaulted in the dormitory as the juvenile was returning from a recreational outing. Shortly thereafter, the juvenile encountered and assaulted a second staff member, causing the second staff member to strike his head on the concrete.”
It continued: “The 16-year-old youth involved did not suffer any injuries that would have required medical treatment.”
“Operations at Lincoln Hills School are currently operating as normal, although some youth have been relocated to another residence hall due to the ongoing investigation,” the press release said. The initial press release also stated, “No other youth were involved in this isolated incident.” However, a second youth has since been identified and charged in connection with the attack.

The attack

The criminal complaint against suspect Javarius Hurd gives a more accurate and complete description of what occurred: “Victim 1 (female) was standing in the Krueger Living facility near the door in the lower lounge area that led to the outside courtyard. Hurd accepted a cup containing a liquid, believed to be soap, from another juvenile and threw it at Victim 1’s upper body/face area. Hurd then unprovokedly physically assaulted Victim 1, striking Victim 1 repeatedly in the upper body/face area. Hurd then fled outside into the courtyard where other juveniles were present. Victim 2 followed Hurd outside to apprehend him.”
Hurd then ran to the basketball hoop in the fenced yard and Proulx approached him. “Hurd struck Victim 2 (Proulx) several times in the upper body/face area of ​​Victim 2 for no reason. Hurd maintained a fighting stance and struck the victim twice in the face,” the complaint states. It then references video of the incident from Lincoln Hills School surveillance. “The video appears to show Hurd striking Victim 2 with full force by extending his arm outward and twisting his body away to achieve maximum force. After Hurd struck Victim 2 a second time with full force, Victim 2 became incapacitated and went limp.” He fell to the ground and “hit his head on the pavement.”
“Hurd then climbed onto the basketball hoop and sat on the hoop, overlooking the court,” the complaint states.
The complaint further stated that the attack was planned. “Hurd stated that he had built up aggression toward Victim 1 (female).” He said his pent up aggression stemmed from his belief that she was abusing her power and “treating him unfairly.” He said he planned to attack her and asked another youth to “get the cup of soap from staff so he could throw it at her.”
In the criminal complaint against Rian Nyblom, Nyblom confirmed that he obtained the cup of douche that Hurd eventually threw in Victim 1’s face. “Nyblom told investigators that he knew why JH wanted the douche,” the complaint states. “Earlier that day, Nyblom and JH devised a plan to physically assault Victim 1. For unknown reasons, the two abandoned the first plan and devised a different plan, the douche plan. Nyblom stated that he knew that JH would ‘spray’ Victim 1 with the douche and then strike her without warning.”

Two in custody

Two suspects have now been taken into custody; both are accused of murder, among other things.
On June 26, Javarius Hurd, 16, was charged with murder-assault with special circumstances, second-degree manslaughter and two counts of assault by prisoner. He is being charged as an adult and is being held in the Lincoln County Jail on $100,000 bail.
On June 27, 17-year-old Rian Nyblom was arrested and charged with murder-assault with special circumstances and two counts of prisoner assault in connection with the attack and death. Nyblom was incarcerated in the same unit as Hurd at the time of the attack. Nyblom is being held in the Lincoln County Jail on $20,000 bail.

Enormous loss

Proulx’s death has shocked Lincoln Hills employees and the Merrill community.
According to a June 26 DOC press release, Proulx returned to Lincoln Hills School last spring as a youth counselor after briefly leaving the school two years earlier.
“It is with great sadness and regret that I announce the loss of a dedicated professional, colleague and friend in the line of duty,” said Jared Hoy, DOC Secretary. “A career in law enforcement with the dual responsibility of protecting the public and guiding individuals through rehabilitation can be demanding and requires so many sacrifices for our staff and our families, and Corey made the ultimate sacrifice. Our DOC family mourns Corey’s loss and we are thinking of all of his family and friends.”
Proulx’s fiancée and daughter told Minister Hoy that they want everyone to know that Corey was a great partner, father, son and person. At this time, the family wishes to make no further comment and asks for privacy as they grieve.
In a message to Lincoln Hills School staff, Superintendent Klint Trevino wrote: “Corey was a dedicated and compassionate member of our team and always sought to make a positive impact in the lives of the young people we serve. His commitment to our mission was unwavering and we will all miss him greatly.”
Minister Hoy traveled to Lincoln Hills School on Wednesday to support staff and deployed peer supporters from across the agency “to assist staff in processing this tragic event.”
Governor Tony Evers ordered the United States and Wisconsin state flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Proulx beginning June 26 at the time of his executive order until sunset on June 27. “Our hearts break for Corey, his family and loved ones, his colleagues in the department, and all who knew and loved him. By all accounts, Corey was a dedicated public servant who served the youth he worked with with kindness and compassion,” Evers said. “The people of Wisconsin honor Corey and his service today as we mourn his tragic passing and keep Corey’s family and loved ones, colleagues, and all who knew him and served alongside him in our hearts and prayers.”

Ongoing investigation

The DOC press release on June 25 stated that the “incident” had been referred to the LCSO. The LCSO confirms that this is now a joint investigation between their agency and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office and that the investigation is ongoing.

Local representatives demand accountability

Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) urged Governor Evers to act in a statement released after receiving the news. He expressed condolences to Proulx’s family and friends, but said, “The Evers administration has had five years to develop a plan for Lincoln Hills.”
“…an incident like this should never have happened. Over six years ago, I warned the federal judge siding with the ACLU that his decision would jeopardize the safety of the staff at that facility. Despite that warning, the Evers administration failed to take the necessary steps to protect staff. As then-candidate Evers asked Governor Scott Walker in 2018, ‘How many staff members were harassed and abused (at Lincoln Hills)? How many lives were ruined?’ I ask Governor Evers the same question today.”
“The employees who dedicate their time to making a positive impact on our youth deserve a safe work environment. Their families also have a right to know that their loved ones return home safely.”
He called for “responsible leaders who put employee safety first, not lenient policies that allow dangerous criminals to operate.”
Representative Calvin Callahan (Wisconsin’s 35th congressional district, R-Tomahawk) also expressed his condolences and outrage, calling Proulx’s death “the murder of a correctional officer in Lincoln Hills.”
“I am saddened and angry to hear of the death of Corey Proulx, a dedicated and loving person,” Callahan said. “I am outraged by the inability of this current administration to protect its employees. Now an innocent man has been killed on their watch. This should NEVER have happened and I will do everything in my power as your state representative to ensure those responsible are held accountable. This will not be tolerated; the employees of Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake and Corey’s friends and family have my word.”