SOLEDAD — John Lydon, a 52-year-old inmate of Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, was sentenced Oct. 10 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of fellow inmate Son Kim Tran.
On May 16, Lydon pleaded to the murder of Tran and admitted a special allegation that he had previously been convicted of murder.
On Jan. 6, 2024, Lydon entered and remained in Tran’s cell for over an hour before exiting. Shortly thereafter, Tran was discovered dead, suffering from more than 70 stab wounds.
Prior to this homicide, Lydon had been convicted of murdering two other inmates, in 2004 and 2010.
This case was investigated by the Investigative Services Unit at Salinas Valley State Prison.
