SALINAS, Calif. – The death of an Orange County inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison on Saturday, Jan. 6, is being investigated by authorities as a homicide, officials said over the weekend. Son Tran, 53, had been serving a 50-year to life sentence at the Monterey County prison since 2001. He was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead by medical staff at around 11:40 a.m.
Another inmate was seen entering Tran’s cell and is considered a suspect in this case. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated that no staff members were injured during the incident. Tran had been sentenced in 1999 after being found guilty of kidnapping, rape, oral copulation, and assault with intent to commit a specific sex offense.
The coroner’s office had not confirmed the official cause of death as of Saturday evening. The inmate considered to be a suspect, 50-year-old John Lydon, had been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for attempted murder in 2001. He was later sentenced for two separate counts of murder on another incarcerated person and is currently serving life without the possibility of parole.
Lydon, from Los Angeles County, was moved into restricted housing and tighter restrictions were put in place at the prison while authorities and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office continued their investigation. The case is ongoing and further details are yet to be disclosed.
This tragic incident has raised concerns about safety and security within the prison system, as inmates and staff alike are deeply affected by such events. The prison authorities are working diligently to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to provide a sense of security amidst this unfortunate occurrence.