Killed Behind Bars

In 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Justice reported that 120 inmates were murdered in U.S. prisons. Not very high of a number, considering more than 4,000 inmates died from other causes while in custody during the same year. Many inmate deaths occur from cancer and heart disease and related illnesses, while an increasing number of inmates die due to unnatural causes such as alcohol/drug intoxication and suicide.

These stories highlight inmates who have been killed while incarcerated in U.S. prisons.

Child Molester Murdered by Teen Inmate

Less than one week after 66-year-old Agustin Duran arrived at Wasco State Prison in July 2018 to serve a sentence on a child molestation conviction charge, fellow inmate Andres Ayon beat him to death.

Prison officials said that Ayon plummeted Duran starting with punches to the man’s face and upper torso. Correctional officers all of the inmates to get on the ground. All inmates except Ayon complied with the request. Ayon continued to attack Duran. Officers continued to order Ayon to cease the attack but he ignored the requests. Correctional officers then used a pepper spray grenade to stop the attack by the 19-year-old.

Duran was transported to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries. He had been at the prison for five days when the incident occurred. Ayon was treated for minor injuries.

Duran was serving a 55-year-sentence on a conviction for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.

Originally serving a six-year sentence on a second-degree robbery and use of a deadly weapon conviction, Ayon had been at the prison since June 2018. He was charged with murder in connection to the death after prison officials conducted a short investigation. Ayon was also placed into Administrative Segregation (Ad- Seg.)

In 2020, Ayon pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to 17-years in prison.

County Jail Nurse Charged in Death of Inmate

On November 4, 2021, a California county jail nurse was charged in the death of an inmate. Danalee Pascua was charged with involuntary manslaughter after she walked away from a 24-year-old inmate who collapsed in front of her.

The inmate had recently been admitted into the jail and told correctional officers that she was a heroin user and had recently used. The inmate suffered withdrawal symptoms for days but was never placed on the withdrawal protocols the jail adheres to. She died on November 11, 2019.

She faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the 2019 death of inmate Elisa Serna. The incident occurred at the Las Colinas Detention Facility in San Diego County. Pascua left the inmate lying unconscious on the floor for at least one hour before she finally adminstered life-saving measures.

Man Murders Cellmate After Finding Out he was a Child Molester

Steven Sandison was serving life in prison in a Michigan prison for a 1991 murder when he found out his cellmate was locked up on child molestation charges. The two began to talk and Sandison says that 67-year-old Theodore Dyer began trying to explain why it happened. Sandison said he told Dyer that he didn’t care he had to get out of the cell, but he continued talking, trying to “justify” the molestation. That’s when Sandison said he jumped on top of the larger cellmate and began striking him in the face and body, ultimately “taking his life.” Sandison used shoestrings to strangle Dyer to death.

Dyer was serving 25 to 50 years in prison for first-degree criminal sexual misconduct against a child under 13.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“I don’t feel bad for what I did,” he said. “I feel bad for maybe his family or something, but as far as remorse toward him, no.”