Inmate’s death investigated as homicide at Northern California prison, CDCR says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Authorities launched homicide investigation after inmate found unresponsive
- Cellmate Jesse Ferdin moved to restrictive housing pending investigation
- Longeno Jones was serving a potential life sentence under California’s "Three Strikes" law
Authorities are investigating the suspicious death of an inmate at a Northern California prison after he was found unresponsive in his cell last week as correctional officers distributed medication.
Longeno Jones, 51, was found unresponsive at 5:14 p.m. May 21 at Mule Creek State Prison in Amador County, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Monday in a news release.
Prison staff began life-saving measures and took Jones to the prison’s triage and treatment area, where paramedics pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m., CDCR officials said.
Jesse A. Ferdin, Jones’ cellmate, was removed from the cell and placed in the restrictive housing unit pending investigation. CDCR officials said the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Amador County District Attorney’s Office are investigating Jones’ death as a homicide.
CDCR did not release any further details about Jones’ death.
Jones was had been in CDCR custody since July 19, 2007. He was convicted of first-degree burglary in Los Angeles County and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole under California’s “Three Strikes” law, according to CDCR.
Ferdin, 54, has been in CDCR custody since Jan. 28, 2019. He was convicted of rape in Alameda County and sentenced to 12 years in prison. CDCR said Ferdin’s rape conviction was considered his second strike under the “Three Strikes” law.
Mule Creek State Prison, which opened in 1987, houses more than 3,800 minimum, medium and maximum-security inmates.
