April 27, 2025 – SUSANVILLE, CA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the April 26, 2025, death of an incarcerated person at High Desert State Prison (HDSP) as a homicide.
At approximately 10:20 a.m., the incarcerated person Rodger A. Brown (41) allegedly attacked another incarcerated person, William J. Couste (54), on the yard.
Officers immediately initiated life-saving measures on Couste and activated 911. Couste was taken to the prison’s triage and treatment area where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff at 10:49 a.m. No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured.
One improvised weapon was recovered at the scene.
Brown was moved to restricted housing pending investigation into this case. The HDSP Investigative Services Unit and the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office are conducting investigations into this incident. The Office of the Inspector General has been notified, and the Lassen County Coroner will determine Couste’s official cause of death.
Couste, 54, was most recently received from Riverside County on Nov. 21, 2024. He was sentenced to serve 21 years, eight months for transport/import of a controlled substance and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, with enhancements for an offense committed while on bail and possession/purchase/CSP Meth/Amph/PCP exceeding 20 kilos/400 liters.
He was also sentenced by Riverside County to one year for assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury with an enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury involving domestic violence; two years for possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, possessing/owning a firearm by a felon/addict, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person; possession or sale of specific controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance for sale; two years for transport/import of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, and possessing/manufacture/sell metal knuckles with an enhancement of an offense committed while released on bail; two years, eight months for possessing/owning a firearm by a felon or addict and possessing ammunition by a prohibited person with an enhancement of an offense committed while released on bail; and seven years, four months, 364 days for vehicle theft with prior vehicle-related theft convictions, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, possessing/owning a firearm by a felon or addict, possessing ammunition by a prohibited person, and possessing a controlled substance for sale.
Brown, 41, was most recently received from Siskiyou County on April 24, 2012. He was sentenced to 15 years for corporal injury on a spouse within seven years of a prior/specified conviction with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury involving domestic violence and prior felony conviction of a serious offense. He was also sentenced by Siskiyou County to three years for prevent/dissuade victim/witness and criminal threat to cause great bodily injury/death. On October 31, 2013, Brown was sentenced by Imperial County to four years for battery on a non-prisoner, an-prison offense; by Lassen County on Jan. 24, 2024, to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder as a third striker, an in-prison offense; and by Lassen County on Oct. 10, 2024, to one year for possession/manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner, an in-prison offense.
High Desert State Prison, which opened in 1995, houses approximately 2,900 incarcerated people at various custody levels. The facility provides educational, vocational, medical, and mental health services.
Source & photos: CDCR
