LICKING, Mo. — This morning, an inmate at the South Central Correctional Center died, making him the 12th prisoner to die in the center this year.

Williams’ prison mugshot

At 6:14 a.m. on Dec. 2, Waymond Williams was pronounced dead. Williams was a 60-year-old from Jackson County who was serving a seven-year sentence for second-degree domestic assault. He began serving his time on May 17, 2022.

According to a press release from the State of Missouri Department of Corrections, an autopsy will be conducted.

Several of the 12 prisoners to die this year overdosed on a drug mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine. KOLR 10 Investigates spoke to Texas Coroner Marie Lasater who said preliminary toxicology screens came back negative for drugs.

Lasater previously told the investigative team that six inmates typically die in one year at SCCC in Licking. Williams’ death today marks double the average.

The Missouri Department of Corrections told KOLR 10 Investigates that Karen Pojmann would be in touch with Investigative Reporter Lauren Barnas this week to clarify when and why the prison system films over inmate deaths caught on surveillance video. It’s a prison policy that was uncovered in our ongoing reporting. However, we have not heard from Pojmann.