9-24-2006 California:
The Monterey County District Attorney's Office is preparing to charge a cellmate with the murder of a 50-year-old prison inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, corrections officials said. The Monterey County Coroner's Office stated in a preliminary report that Willie Eagans died of strangulation. Correctional officers found him in his bed, said prison spokesman Lt. Bill Muñiz. The District Attorney's Office is "working to prepare charges" against Eagans' cellmate, Christopher Davis, 25, in connection with the slaying, Muñiz said.
Prison staff members conducted a routine security inspection early Sept. 19 and found nothing awry, Muñiz said. But when neither cellmate showed up for breakfast, two staff members went to check the cell about 7:30 a.m. They found Davis, who appeared to be in medical distress and "could not respond verbally," Muñiz said. Davis fell to the ground, he said, and officers activated an alarm carried by prison workers to summon additional help. Officers discovered that Eagans, who was lying in a lower bunk and appeared to be asleep, did not respond.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:07 a.m. Muñiz said authorities immediately handled the scene as a possible homicide, which is standard procedure when an inmate with a cellmate is found dead. The time of Eagans' death was not immediately made available, and it was not clear whether Eagans was still alive when officers first inspected his cell earlier. The coroner's office said Thursday that the autopsy report was not complete and that the case was still being investigated.
Davis was taken to an area hospital, Muñiz said, and then placed in administrative segregation in a solo cell. Muñiz had no details on Davis' medical condition, but said the inmate was no longer hospitalized. Davis and Eagans were both convicted in Los Angeles County before coming to the prison in Soledad. Davis was serving a sentence of three years and eight months for second-degree robbery charges, while Eagans was sentenced to 30 years on child sex abuse charges. The death took place in B yard, which houses medium-high security Level Three inmates. Level Four is the state's highest security rating.
B yard is what is called a Sensitive Needs Yard, designated for inmates who may be at risk in the general prison population, such as gang drop-outs, men with prison drug debts and sex offenders. They are also commonly referred to as protective custody yards. Muñiz said murder is relatively rare in sensitive need yards, because inmates are carefully screened before they're transferred to the special yards. "There's a 'Don't ask about me and I won't ask about you' attitude,'' in such yards Muñiz said. Muñiz said the motive for Eagans' killing was unknown, but said that the crime is still under investigation. ..more.. : by JULIA REYNOLDS, Herald Staff Writer
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SVSP INMATE CHARGED S.S.
9-29-2006 California
AN INMATE AT SALINAS VALLEY STATE PRISON IS LIKELY TO BE CHARGED WITH A CELL-MATE'S MURDER. THAT AFTER 50 YEAR-OLD WILLIE EAGANS' BODY WAS FOUND IN HIS BED. THE MONTEREY COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE HAS CONFIRMED THAT EAGANS DIED OF STRANGULATION. HIS CELL MATE AT THE TIME WAS 25 YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER DAVIS. EAGANS' DEATH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
BOTH DAVIS AND EAGANS WERE CONVICTED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BEFORE COMING TO SALINAS VALLEY STATE PRISON IN SOLEDAD. DAVIS WAS SERVING 3 YEARS AND 8 MONTHS FOR 2ND DEGREE ROBBERY, WHILE EAGANS WAS SENTENCED TO SPEND 30 YEARS BEHIND BARS, ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES. ..more..
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