The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is investigating the death of a 72-year-old inmate as a homicide at a California State Prison, Corcoran facility.
On March 20 at 8 a.m., inmate Earl D. Williams was found unresponsive in his cell at the prison’s Substance Abuse Treatment Facility. Prison workers called 911 and tried to revive Williams. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 a.m. on March 23.
A 28-year-old inmate, Ignacio Guzman, was placed in restricted housing in response to Williams’ death. The Substance Abuse Treatment Facility’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office are actively investigating the case.
California inmate Earl D. Williams (left) died by homicide on March 23, 2026, investigators say. Inmate Ignacio Guzman (right) was named a person of interest in the case. (California Department of Corrections)
The prison received Williams from Los Angeles County on Jan. 11, 2016. Williams was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Guzman arrived at the prison from Kings County on Jan. 17, 2024. He is currently serving more than five years in prison for battery, and the battery of a peace officer.
The Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran houses minimum, medium, high and maximum-security inmates. The institution opened in 1997 and houses approximately 5,300 inmates.
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