CORONA, Calif. – The death of an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison on Saturday, Jan. 6, is being investigated as a homicide, officials said over the weekend.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Son Tran, who had been serving a 50-year to life sentence since 2001, was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead. Another inmate is suspected to be involved in the incident.
The victim, 53-year-old Tran, was serving time for kidnapping, rape, oral copulation, and assault with intent to commit a specific sex offense. The official cause of death has not yet been confirmed by the coroner’s office.
The suspected inmate, 50-year-old John Lydon, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He was moved into restricted housing and tighter restrictions were imposed at the prison while authorities continue their investigation.
As of now, there have been no reports of staff members being injured during the incident. The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is also involved in the investigation.
This incident has brought attention to safety concerns within the prison system and has raised questions about the accountability of the prison staff. Efforts are being made to ensure that similar incidents are prevented in the future.