California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the Jan. 12, death of an inmate at the California Medical Facility as a homicide.
According to CDCR, on Jan. 4, 2026, at 7:20 p.m., staff responded to a physical altercation between incarcerated persons Joe Duty, Jr. and Stephenson C. Kim in a housing unit. Kim was found unconscious and staff immediately responded, initiating life-saving measures on Kim and activating 911. Kim was taken immediately to the prison’s triage and treatment area and subsequently transferred to an outside medical facility. Duty was medically evaluated and placed in restricted housing.
On Jan. 12, an outside medical facility physician pronounced Kim deceased at 6:30 p.m…