Tragedy strikes San Quentin Rehabilitation Center as officials are piecing together the circumstances leading to the death of Mark Squires, which has now been marked as a possible homicide. On Tuesday, chaos erupted when officers rushed to a cell occupied by Mark Squires and Gustavo Lopez after an alarm was sounded. They discovered an unresponsive Squires, and they immediately sought medical assistance.
Despite the swift response from San Quentin staff and the call to 911, lifesaving efforts for Squires bore no fruit. He was pronounced dead at 4:04 p.m. by medical personnel, a matter of record according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Squires, 70, has been behind bars since 2000, serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for serious sexual offenses, and was found lifeless in the cell he shared with Gustavo Lopez, who is now in restricted housing as the investigation continues into his cellmate's untimely demise.
As the investigation unfolds, Lopez, 36, convicted of kidnapping and other felonies, faces new scrutiny. His connection to Squires' death remains under investigation by the SQRC Investigative Services Unit and the Marin County District Attorney's Office, with oversight from the Office of the Inspector General. The official cause of death is pending the Marin County Coroner's report.
