Eighth death row inmate in California dies from suspected coronavirus complications

An eighth death row inmate in California has died of apparent COVID-19 complications, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced Wednesday.

According to CDCR, John M. Beames, 67, died at an outside hospital Tuesday. His exact cause of death has not yet been declared by a coroner. 

Beames was sentenced to death in Tulare County in October of 1995 for murder, torture and other crimes involving a one-year-old. He was admitted onto California’s death row on Nov. 7, 1995.

On Monday CDCR announced another California death row inmate, Troy A. Ashmus, 58, died of suspected coronavirus complications. 

California’s San Quentin State Prison is where Beames and Ashmus were held when they died and where the state holds its 717 condemned inmates. The prison, which is north of San Francisco, has had a total of 14 virus-related deaths, CBS Sacramento reported.

According to CBS, on Wednesday U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ordered prison officials to vacate or reserve at least 100 beds in each of the state’s 35 prisons for isolating and quarantining inmates.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has previously ordered the early release of about 10 percent of the state’s prison population, or about 10,000 inmates. The state is also moving 7,000 inmates to reduce crowding.