A convicted rapist from Alameda County is under investigation for allegedly killing his cellmate at Mule Creek State Prison, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
Jesse A. Ferdin, 54, was moved to a restrictive housing unit as officials investigate the suspected homicide.
On May 21, prison staff found Longeno Jones, 51, unresponsive inside the cell he shared with Ferdin. He was taken to the prison’s triage area, where paramedics pronounced him dead about an hour later.
The CDCR released mugshots of both inmates: Ferdin on the left, Jones on the right.
Ferdin was convicted in 2018 in Alameda County for rape with force and violence and sentenced in 2019 to 12 years in prison.
Jones had been serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after a 2007 first-degree burglary conviction in Los Angeles County under the three-strikes law.
Mule Creek State Prison, located in Amador County, houses more than 3,800 inmates.
The MCSP Investigative Services Unit is handling the case, while the Amador County Coroner will determine the official cause of Jones’ death.
