San Quentin Inmate Dies From Apparent Coronavirus Complications

SAN QUENTIN, CA — San Quentin inmate Troy Ashmus, who had been on death row since 1986, died Monday at an outside hospital from what appears to be complications related to the coronavirus, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. An exact cause of death will be determined by the coroner.

Ashmus, 58, is the latest inmate at San Quentin whose death has been linked to COVID-19. Across California, 39 state prison inmates with confirmed cases of COVID-19 have died, including 12 at San Quentin, according to the CDCR website tracking illnesses and deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ashmus was admitted to state prison in 1985 from Sacramento County to serve a six-year sentence for assault with intent to commit a specific sex crime, according to the CDCR. While incarcerated, he was sentenced to death in 1986 by a Sacramento County jury for first-degree murder, forcible rape, sodomy with a victim under 14 years old with force/violence, and lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 with force/violence.

Out of 6,965 cases of COVID-19 confirmed so far among state prison inmates, 2,085 have been at San Quentin, the state's largest prison outbreak. There are now 718 people on California's death row.

Also see:

• San Quentin Death Row Inmate Investigated For Guard Attack
• 11th San Quentin Inmate's Death Tied To Coronavirus
• Death Row Inmate Dies From Apparent Coronavirus Complications
• Death Row Inmate Dies At San Quentin
• Death Row Inmate Who Died At San Quentin Had COVID-19
• Another Coronavirus Death As County Cases Surpass 1,500 In Marin