The 500-inmate Nevada Maximum Security Prison was locked down Monday after a convicted killer from Utah was found slain in his cell.
Joseph Beeson, 20, was apparently strangled and suffered puncture wounds, said prison spokesman Robin Bates. He said no weapon was found and no motive has surfaced yet.Beeson, of Provo, and Edward Bennett, of Lehi, were convicted of the fatal shooting of newlywed Las Vegas convenience store clerk Michelle Moore, 21, in February 1988 during a robbery. Beeson received two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole and Bennett was sentenced to death.
Bates said Beeson was in an isolation cell because of disciplinary problems but he had access to the tier in the unit that houses about 125 inmates. The prison will be in lockdown until the 125 inmates are questioned about the death, he said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.