Inmate found dead at prison in Folsom Thursday, January 24, 2008

FOLSOM – An inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento, was found dead in his cell Wednesday morning with an apparent stab wound to his neck, according to authorities.

Oscar Hidalgo, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said a doctor doing a routine check found the unresponsive 33-year-old victim.

It isn't clear what happened or when the victim died, Hidalgo said. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office is calling the case a homicide.

Homicide detectives are investigating the victim's 22-year-old cellmate as a suspect, Hidalgo said. The two had shared the cell for a period of time, he said. Authorities have not released the identity of either inmate.

The victim had been incarcerated since 1992 for attempted murder and was scheduled to be released in 2019. The suspect has been incarcerated since 2003 for second-degree robbery and was scheduled to be released in 2017.

– Chelsea Phua