Ashley Laird Baird is accused of murdering a fellow inmate while serving time at an Alberta prison. (Facebook)

By Jordan Davidson

Murder charge

Nanaimo man charged with murdering fellow inmate in Alberta

Jan 28, 2022 | 1:12 PM

NANAIMO — A local man behind bars in an Alberta prison is now accused of murder following the death of another inmate.

Ashley Laird Baird, 38, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Jeffrey Ryan, 34, of Parkland County, Alberta

The accusation against Baird followed an unprovoked attack at the Drumheller Institution, a medium-security facility, according to a Correctional Services of Canada release.

Ryan sustained serious injuries during the attack and was transported to hospital where he later died.

The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit is now investigating.

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No staff members or other inmates were injured during the incident.

At the time of his death, Ryan had been serving a little more than three year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons offences.

Baird was sentenced to four and a half years behind bars for a home invasion in Nanaimo in 2017 after pleading guilty to six charges.

He forced his way into a Haliburton St. home while armed with a shotgun and then zap strapped five people and demanded a safe belonging to a man murdered earlier the same day.

The Drumheller Insitiution is a medium-security prison and includes a 72-bed minimum-security facility. (Jason Blanke/Drumhelleronline.com)

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow