SOLEDAD — Two inmates at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad have been found guilty of attempting to murder another inmate.
After a two-week jury trial, inmates Brian Pacheco, 40, and Jason Partee, 42, were convicted Sept. 23 for stabbing inmate Manual Gonzalez in September 2017.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, correctional officers at the prison’s Facility C yard testified that they saw Pacheco and Partee stab Gonzalez multiple times, including in the neck, with inmate-manufactured weapons.
The officers found Gonzalez non-responsive with over 25 stab wounds to his chest and stomach, as well as gashes on his neck and throat.
A weapon sheath was also located next to Pacheco, along with a hidden pocket with a concealed weapon on Partee, the officers testified.
Under California’s “Three Strikes” law, each defendant faces an additional sentence of 27 years to life in prison, with a maximum of 37 years to life for Pacheco and 45 years to life for Partee.
Both men will be sentenced on Jan. 28.
