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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Homemade Headset Electrocutes Inmate

Compiled From Wire Services

An inmate was electrocuted when he sat on an aluminum toilet while wearing a set of homemade headphones.

Laurence Baker, a 47-year-old murderer serving a life sentence, died late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Baker was watching TV with a headset, which is required to prevent the sound from disturbing other prisoners. The headphones, which violated prison rules because they were homemade, were plugged directly into the television.

State police blamed bad wiring in the headphones.