An inmate at Kern Valley State Prison in California is under investigation for the alleged homicide of his cellmate, who was convicted of multiple charges, including child trafficking. The incident occurred on Saturday, prompting the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to launch an investigation.
Gregory Clark, 58, was discovered with blood on his clothing by officers in his cell at approximately 3:19 p.m. His cellmate, 41-year-old Darius Swain, was found unresponsive in the same cell, leading to an immediate call for assistance. Medical staff initiated life-saving measures on Swain, but he was pronounced dead at 3:48 p.m. by paramedics in the prison's Treatment and Triage Area.
Swain had been serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for human trafficking of a minor with force, pimping, pandering, second-degree robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm. He arrived at the prison in March 2019 from Alameda County.
Clark, who has been placed in restrictive housing pending investigation, arrived at the prison in March 2011 from Los Angeles County. He was serving a 22-year sentence for domestic violence, enhancement of use of a deadly weapon, prior prison term, and prior felony conviction of a serious offense. Additionally, he was sentenced to two more years in Kern County for assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon in January 2021.
The Kern County Coroner will determine the cause of Swain's death, while details regarding the circumstances between the two inmates remain undisclosed at this time.
