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71-Year-old Inmate Killed in Folsom Prison Riot Had Killed a Prison Guard in 1971

Posted on August 12, 2015

CALIFORNIA


FolsomStatePrison
Folsom State Prison

California prison officials said a man killed today in a prison riot at Folsom at the maximum-security yard was Hugo Pinell who was part of the infamous “San Quentin Six” who were involved in a deadly 1971 attack.

Pinell, 71, was initially committed to prison on February 17, 1965 from San Francisco County to serve a life-with-parole sentence for rape with force.

Pinell killed prison guard R.J. McCarthey on March 3, 1971 at Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. He was sentenced to serve life-with-parole on May 22, 1972.

Officials said he was involved in the August 21, 1971, escape attempt at San Quentin State Prison that left six people dead, including three correctional officers, three inmates and George Jackson, founder of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang.

Pinell was convicted of violently assaulting two correctional officers during the escape attempt and sentenced to life-with-parole on September 1, 1976, officials said.

Folsom is a maximum-security prison housing about 2,300 general population inmates.

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