By John Yates
Special Correspondent
McALESTER —
An Oklahoma State Penitentiary inmate was charged with first-degree murder in the death of an inmate who died over a year ago after being injured at the penitentiary in July 2009.
Jeremy Lyons was charged Thursday in Pittsburg County District Court with first-degree murder in the July 20, 2009 death of Blake A. Ford.
The two were cellmates at the time Ford died. According to an article in the McAlester News Capital, OSP Warden’s Assistant Terry Crenshaw said that Lyons was found standing over Ford with his foot placed on Ford’s head.
Lyons, now 24 years old, is already serving a 35 year sentence for second-degree murder out of Tulsa County, according to his online Department of Corrections record.
He also has two convictions out of Greer County, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of controlled dangerous substance in county jail.
The two Greer County sentences stem from a 2006 case, according to the online records, while the second-degree murder sentence comes from a 2003 Tulsa County case.
Ford, 23 at the time of his death, had a lengthy criminal record out of Oklahoma County, based on his online DOC record.
There are a total of 10 sentences listed for Ford in the online record, all out of Oklahoma County. Seven were designated for incarceration, while three were listed as suspended.
Of those, the longest term was for 12 years, for possession of firearm after former conviction of a felony.
That one was scheduled to end in April 2018.
John Yates is the news director for McAlester Radio.
