A man incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville has died more than a week after a physical altercation with another inmate, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. CDCR said that on Jan. 4, staff responded to a physical altercation between incarcerated persons Joe Duty Jr., 30, and Stephenson C. Kim, 45. Kim was found unconscious. Officials said Kim was initially taken to the prison’s treatment area before he was transferred to an outside medical facility. He died from his injuries on Jan. 12.CDCR said following the altercation, Duty was medically evaluated and placed in restricted housing. He will remain in restricted housing during the investigation into Kim’s death. Kim was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Orange County. According to a 2012 news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, he was found guilty of a 2004 shooting at a Cypress cafe that resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman. CDCR said Duty arrived at California Medical Facility in February 2025, serving a 14-year sentence for rape and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 in San Joaquin County. Kim’s death is being investigated as a homicide.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

VACAVILLE, Calif. —

A man incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville has died more than a week after a physical altercation with another inmate, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

CDCR said that on Jan. 4, staff responded to a physical altercation between incarcerated persons Joe Duty Jr., 30, and Stephenson C. Kim, 45. Kim was found unconscious.

Officials said Kim was initially taken to the prison’s treatment area before he was transferred to an outside medical facility. He died from his injuries on Jan. 12.

CDCR said following the altercation, Duty was medically evaluated and placed in restricted housing. He will remain in restricted housing during the investigation into Kim’s death.

Kim was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Orange County. According to a 2012 news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, he was found guilty of a 2004 shooting at a Cypress cafe that resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman.

CDCR said Duty arrived at California Medical Facility in February 2025, serving a 14-year sentence for rape and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 in San Joaquin County.

Kim’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel