WEST BATON ROUGE — The coroner’s office has ruled that a federal inmate’s death was “natural” after he died at the West Baton Rouge Detention Center back in July. The inmate was identified as 46-year-old Darren Dorman, Jr.
On Sunday, July 5, 2026, just after 9:30 p.m., Correctional Deputies were alerted to an unresponsive inmate inside a cell.
WBRSO says Dorman’s cellmate notified staff, who rendered first aid waiting on paramedics.
“Despite these efforts, the inmate who was being held on federal charges was pronounced deceased,” WBRSO said in a news release in July.
The West Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy to determine what happened. According to the autopsy report, Dorman’s cause of death was listed as Hypertensive Heart Disease, and his death was ruled as natural.
The inmate’s name was released by the U.S. Marshal’s Office since he was a federal inmate. They added the investigation into how the inmate died would be handled by the WBRSO.
His death comes after four inmates died inside the West Baton Rouge Detention Center in 2025.
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