California prison inmate's death being investigated as homicide: CDCR
Longeno Jones (left); Jesse Ferdin (right) / California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
AMADOR COUNTY, Calif. - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the death of an incarcerated person at Mule Creek State Prison as a homicide.
What we know:
On May 21, 2025, at approximately 5:14 p.m., officers at Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) discovered Longeno Jones, 51, unresponsive in his cell during medication distribution.
Prison staff immediately initiated life-saving measures and called 911.
Jones was transported to the prison’s triage and treatment area, where paramedics pronounced him dead at 5:45 p.m.
His cellmate, Jesse A. Ferdin, 54, was removed from the cell and placed in the restrictive housing unit pending the ongoing investigation.
What we don't know:
Jones' official cause of death has not yet been determined.
It's unclear if Ferdin is considered a suspect.
The backstory:
Jones was most recently received from Los Angeles County on July 19, 2007. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree burglary as a third striker, with enhancements for prior prison term/nonviolent new offenses and prior felony convictions of serious offense.
Ferdin was most recently received from Alameda County on January 28, 2019. He was sentenced to twelve years for rape with force/violence/fear of bodily injury as a second striker.
What's next:
The incident is currently under investigation by the MCSP Investigative Services Unit and the Amador County District Attorney’s Office.
The Office of the Inspector General has been notified, and the Amador Coroner will be responsible for determining the official cause of death.
Big picture view:
Mule Creek State Prison, which opened in 1987, houses more than 3,800 incarcerated individuals, including those with minimum, medium, and maximum security classifications.
The prison, located in Amador County, provides various services, including educational, medical, and mental health programs.
The Source: Information for this story is from a press release published by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on May 26, 2025.