Inmate Ervin Savoy, 50, was pronounced dead at 4:15 p.m. Saturday at MCSP after prison officials found him unresponsive in his cell.
Prison officials have named his cellmate, Floyd Bailey, 51, as a suspect in the case.
Savoy was received by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Sept. 9, 1999, from Santa Barbara County for first-degree residential burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He received a sentence of 25 years to life.
The suspect, inmate Floyd Bailey, was received by CDCR on Aug. 9, 1993, from Santa Clara County. He is serving a life-term sentence for first-degree murder.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. The Office of the Inspector General has been notified.
Mule Creek State Prison, which opened in 1987, houses approximately 2,800 minimum-to medium- and maximum-custody inmates. The prison, located in Amador County, provides educational, medical and mental health services and employs more than 1,400 people.
