In a turn of events that has left a family grappling for closure, Nikolas LaFountain, the West Palm Beach man charged with the 2021 murder of his roommate Michael Wilson, has died while in state custody. As reported by WPBF 25 News, LaFountain’s passing occurred in a mental health hospital, which was disclosed without revealing the cause of death. Charged with first-degree murder after allegedly stabbing and bludgeoning Wilson, LaFountain’s case had yet to see a trial as mental health issues rendered him incompetent, creating a saga of frustration for the victim’s family.
While details surrounding LaFountain’s death remain undisclosed, the family of the deceased Wilson seeks some semblance of solace in their tragic loss. In a Facebook statement, cited by WPBF 25 News, the Wilson family expressed their complex emotions: “We don’t know how to feel. We don’t know what to think. There won’t be a trial, which is good, right? But, there won’t be a trial and a conviction. There won’t be earthly justice.”
Dominique Russo, the attorney who once represented LaFountain, reached out to WPBF 25 News with concerns about his client’s untimely death, stating, “A young, healthy man should not be dying in the custody of a medical treatment facility that is meant to protect him. We are working with the police to investigate the cause of death and bring justice for his family. LaFountain had been deemed mentally unfit to stand trial repeatedly over the years, leaving Michael Wilson’s parents, Jim and D.J. Wilson, enduring a cycle of court hearings without the closure of a conviction…