The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) has announced the death of inmate John P. Dupras, a 79-year-old inmate from Lewes.
Dupras had been in custody since 1986 following his conviction for the murder of Donald Niksich. According to news reports from the time, the incident began on August 20, 1986, when Dupras, reportedly angered by taunts from Niksich, confronted him at a business in Lewes’ Five Points area.
Dupras, who had been drinking heavily that day, returned to the scene with a hunting knife. The confrontation escalated, and Dupras stabbed Niksich multiple times, leading to his death hours later at the hospital.
At his sentencing, Dupras argued for leniency, however, the prosecution argued that Dupras was a man with a history of escalating violence and argued that he could not be trusted to conform to society.
The jury found Dupras guilty of second-degree murder. A Superior Court Judge sentenced Dupras to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 30 years for possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.
Dupras passed away on Saturday, July 27, while being housed at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC) in Smyrna. Dupras was found unresponsive during a routine security check shortly after midnight according to DOC spokesman Jason Miller.