Inmate killed in prison near Las Vegas

Vanessa Murphy and Linsey Lewis

10 minutes ago

In this April 15, 2015, file photo, High Desert State Prison is seen in Indian Springs, Nevada. (AP Photo/John Locher, Archive)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Department of Corrections is investigating the suspected murder of an inmate on June 14, investigators learned from 8 News Now.

Jacob Lambeth, 48, was found with multiple stab wounds in his cell at High Desert State Prison. It is unclear if charges are currently being filed against a suspect, believed to be an inmate.

Lambeth’s cousin Jessica Gonzales said her family wants justice.

“No one deserves to be killed and swept under the rug,” Gonzales wrote in an email to 8 News Now investigators. “He spent most of his life in prison and I think we all felt that behind bars he was at least safe. He has many people who cared for him and loved him and he will not be forgotten.”

According to prison records, Lambeth was expected to be released from prison in 2026. He was serving a sentence for attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a former felon, according to Clark County District Court records.

Judge James Bixler sentenced Lambeth to eight to 20 years in prison for attempted murder and two to five years for weapons possession. The sentence was to be served concurrently with a federal case against Lambeth related to a 2003 arrest for a stolen vehicle, failure to stop for a police officer and weapons possession, records show.

The court also recommended a drug treatment program for Lambeth.

Lambeth filed a civil rights complaint against High Desert State Prison staff in April.

“I was able to walk. Now I am confined to a wheelchair,” he said in a handwritten complaint. “They confined me to the wheelchair and continued to deny me medical treatment.”

Lambeth claimed he had developed osteomyelitis in his spine, an infection of the bone. Lambeth said his medical needs were ignored and he was left in his cell with feces while suffering excruciating pain. He was treated in intensive care for a month after finally being evaluated by prison medical staff, the lawsuit says.

High Desert State Prison is a medium security facility located near Indian Springs, about a 45-minute drive north of Las Vegas.