An investigation is underway following the death of an inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento, which is now a declared homicide case. According to ABC10, 23-year-old Anthony Francis Jr. was found unconscious in his cell on the evening of July 18 and was pronounced dead shortly after, leading to the ruling by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on September 11 that his death was the result of foul play.
Francis had been serving a 12-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter while armed with a dangerous weapon, and had also been convicted of battery against a correctional officer while incarcerated. His sentence was extended by Glenn County by one year and four months, with his cellmate, Chase Jenkins, now placed in restrictive housing while the case is under investigation by prison authorities in conjunction with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, according to a Sacramento Bee report.
Chase E. Jenkins, 38, is currently facing a separate 11-year term for second-degree robbery, being labeled a second-strike offender with a serious felony on his record; he had entered the facility in July 2023, after being transferred from San Diego County, law enforcement confirmed. The Office of the Inspector General is among the agencies notified about the incident occurring within the prison that opened its doors back in 1986 and holds more than 2,100 inmates.
The investigation into Francis' death is ongoing, and officials have not released the exact cause, citing the sensitivity of the case. CSP-SAC, located next to the historic Folsom State Prison, also reported that on the same day, another inmate was fatally attacked by two others.
