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Calif. prison investigating 2 inmate homicides in less than a month

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials have identified Lawrence Tate’s cellmate, William Clay, as a suspect

By Wes Venteicher
The Sacramento Bee

DELANO, Calif. — A 63-year-old man who was found unresponsive in his cell Wednesday became the second inmate in a month to die from a suspected homicide at North Kern State Prison.

Lawrence Tate, 63, died in a hospital early Thursday morning, according to a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation news release. Tate had been in prison since 2001 for second degree murder.

The department has identified Tate’s cellmate, William Clay, 30, as a suspect. Clay had been booked at the prison on Dec. 6 from Riverside County on a 14-year sentence for attempted murder.

The prison and the Kern County Coroner’s Office are investigating, according to the release.

Tate’s death followed that of Ruben Barela, 49, on Dec. 12. Barela died in a hospital after he was found with injuries to his face in the dayroom of his housing unit Nov. 29, according to CDCR.

Seven inmates were placed in administrative segregation after Barela’s death, according to CDCR.

California State Prison, Sacramento also recently recorded two inmate homicides in a three-week window. An inmate was killed there on Nov. 25, and another was attacked and killed on Dec. 12.

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©2020 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)

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