Kern Valley, along with other California prisons, have “mental health crisis beds”, Simas said, for inmates who express “suicide ideation”.
Advertisement
Jan 14, 2016- A former USA professional football player whose career was cut short by disciplinary problems has been found dead inside his California prison cell. He was pronounced dead about 1:30 a.m., the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
Phillips had forced into into solitary confinement he was suspected of murdering his cellmate back in April 2015, a 37-year-old named Damion Soward. He was placed there after he was suspected of killing his cellmate.
On Tuesday, Judge Michael Dellostritto ordered Phillips to face trial on a charge of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait, Kern County court records show.
He decided not to stay on the team for his senior year and entered the National Football League draft where he was picked sixth overall by the St. Louis Rams.
Phillips, who was a top running back at the University of Nebraska, had been serving a 31-year sentence for his Southern California crimes, including a 2005 conviction in San Diego for choking his ex-girlfriend into unconsciousness. That 1997 season, with 10 appearances with the 49ers and 2 with Miami, was his most productive, tallying a total of 201 carries for 677 yards with 8 touchdowns.
For the most part, fans spoke of Phillips’ impressive football career. He also spent time in NFL Europe and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He was charged with murdering his cell mate.
According toSporting News, a month before the incident Phillips wrote a letter to his mother, which read in part, “I feel myself very close to snapping”.
Advertisement
He was originally accused and convicted of domestic violence against his live-in girlfriend.
