Hurd sentenced to three years of confinement, three years of extended supervision

MERRILL – After being found not guilty of the most serious charge against him, a man convicted of a lesser charge in connection with the 2024 death of a Lincoln Hills School counselor was sentenced to three years of confinement and three years of supervision last week.

Javarius Hurd, 18, was sentenced in Lincoln County Court by Judge Galen Bayne-Allison on Friday, Oct. 30.

Earlier in the week, a Lincoln County jury found Hurd not guilty of a felony count of reckless homicide. Hurd was found guilty of one felony count of battery by prisoners and not guilty of a second felony count of battery by prisoners.

The charges against Hurd, formerly incarcerated at Lincoln Hills, stemmed from a June 24, 2024 incident in which he, then 16, assaulted two staff members at the youth detention center, the first being a female and the second being Corey Proulx, 49. Hurd punched Proulx, causing him to fall and hit his head on the concrete. Proulx died the following day.

A second individual, Rian Nyblom, then 17, was also involved in the incident. Nyblom, who provided Hurd with soap that was used in the assault of the female staff member, was charged with one count of felony murder-battery, special circumstances, party to a crime; and two felony counts of battery by prisoners, party to a crime. In April 2025, as part of a plea deal, Nyblom pleaded guilty to amended charges of battery by prisoners. Nyblom was sentenced to five years in prison last August and was credited with 405 days served.

Hurd was credited with 858 days served, and he is prohibited from having contact with the surviving victim or Lincoln Hills, according to court records.