Authorities ID Marin Murderer Who Was Killed in Prison

The California State Prison-Sacramento inmate who was found dead in his cell Monday night has been identified as 53-year-old Darryl Staples, a prison spokesman said.

Prison officials are investigating Staples’ death as a homicide, and Staples’ cellmate Rambo M. Martin, 26, has been identified as a suspect, Lt. Tony Quinn said.

Staples was convicted in Marin County of first-degree murder and has been in prison since June 10, 1983, Quinn said. He was found unresponsive in his cell at 8:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 8:48 p.m.

According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, Staples beat a Mill Valley man to death with a fire extinguisher after the man had let Staples stay with him.

Martin is serving an 8-year sentence for an assault with a firearm conviction in San Bernardino County and a 4-year term for an assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon in Kern County, Quinn said. Martin has been in prison since November 2013.

The maximum security CSP-SAC located in Folsom has nearly 2,300 general population inmates and employs around 1,700 people. Its inmates are serving longer sentences, have had management problems at other institutions or require mental health treatment.

– Bay City News Service contributed to this report.