CDCR is investigating murder after an inmate was stabbed in an attack at a Northern California prison

Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate who was found with stab wounds after an alleged attack by two other inmates at a California prison in Lassen County on Friday morning.

The fatal stabbing that occurred around 9:30 a.m. Friday at High Desert State Prison in Susanville is being investigated as a homicide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a news release Monday.

State prison officials said inmates John Patch and Zachary Harris allegedly attacked fellow inmate Scott Cook. At the crime scene, investigators recovered two weapons made by prisoners.

Jail staff responded to the reported attack and found Cook suffering from multiple stab wounds, CDCR said in the news release. Authorities performed life-saving measures on Cook before he was taken to the triage and treatment area. Medical personnel pronounced Cook dead about 20 minutes after the attack. No other injuries were reported.

Cook, 49, was serving a life sentence without parole for a conviction of first-degree murder, auto theft, kidnapping and grand larceny in San Bernardino County, with a sentence for using a weapon in the crime, CDCR said. Cook had been incarcerated in state prison since November 16, 2000.

Cook was also sentenced in Kern County to 16 years and eight months in prison for assaulting a prisoner with a deadly weapon or force likely to cause serious bodily injury and for possessing a deadly weapon manufactured by a prisoner, officials said state prison.

Harris, 36, and Patch, 30, were placed in special housing during the murder investigation, CDCR said. Jail staff are restricting inmates’ movement around the yard to facilitate investigations by the jail’s Investigative Services Unit and the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office. The Inspector General’s Office has been notified and the Lassen County Coroner will determine Cook’s official cause of death.

Harris is serving a sentence of 24 years and eight months in prison for a conviction in San Diego County of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, manufacturing, selling or possessing a short-barreled shotgun or rifle, evading or attempting to elude a peace officer while standing reckless driving, first-degree burglary and violent assault likely to result in serious bodily injury, CDCR said.

He has been in custody at the state prison since July 21, 2021. Harris was also sentenced in Kern County to 11 years in prison for assault by a prisoner with violence.

Patch is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for a conviction in San Diego County of second-degree murder with the use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon that left a victim in a coma or suffered paralysis, according to the CDCR and violent attacks that can result in serious physical injury. Patch has been in state prison custody since December 21, 2022.

High Desert State Prison houses approximately 2,500 minimum, medium and maximum inmates.