CDCR investigates homicide after inmate stabbed in attack at Northern California prison
Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate found with stab wounds Friday morning after an alleged attack by two other inmates at a California prison in Lassen County.
The deadly stabbing, which occurred about 9:30 a.m. Friday at High Desert State Prison in Susanville, is being investigated as a homicide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Monday in a news release.
State prison officials said inmates John Patch and Zachary Harris allegedly attacked fellow inmate Scott Cook. Investigators recovered two inmate-manufactured weapons at the crime scene.
Prison staff responded to the reported attack and found Cook with multiple stab wounds, CDCR said in the news release. Authorities performed life-saving measures on Cook, before he was taken to the triage and treatment area. Medical staff pronounced Cook dead about 20 minutes after the attack. No other injuries were reported.
Cook, 49, was serving a sentence of life without parole for a San Bernardino County conviction of first-degree murder, carjacking, kidnapping and grand theft, with an enhancement for using a gun in the crime, CDCR said. Cook had been in state prison custody since Nov. 16, 2000.
Cook also was sentenced in Kern County to 16 years and eight months in prison for assault by prisoner with a deadly weapon or force likely to cause great bodily injury, and possessing a manufactured of deadly weapon by prisoner, state prison officials said.
Harris, 36, and Patch, 30, have been moved to restricted housing during the homicide investigation, CDCR said. Prison staff has limited movement of inmates on the yard to facilitate the investigation by the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Lassen County Coroner will determine Cook’s official cause of death.
Harris is serving a sentence of 24 years and eight months in prison for a San Diego County conviction of second-degree attempted murder with the use of a gun, the manufacture, sale or possession of a short-barrel shotgun or rifle, evading or attempt to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, first-degree burglary and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, CDCR said.
He has been in state prison custody since July 21, 2021. Harris also was sentenced in Kern County to 11 years for assault by prisoner with means of force likely to cause great bodily injury.
Patch is serving a sentence of life with a chance of parole for a San Diego County conviction of second-degree murder with the use of dangerous or deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon that inflicted great bodily injury to cause a victim to become comatose or suffer paralysis and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, CDCR said. Patch has been in state prison custody since Dec. 21, 2022.
High Desert State Prison houses about 2,500 minimum-, medium- and maximum-custody inmates.
