Teenager jailed for killing man in fight over girlfriend is stabbed to death in California prison

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A 19-year-old man serving a life term for the murder of a love rival has been killed by two inmates at a California state prison, authorities say.

Prison guards at High Desert State Prison in Susanville saw Michael Hastey being attacked by inmates Christopher Dolan and Michael Ellison with homemade weapons just after 11am last Friday in an exercise yard, officials say.

Correctional officers broke up the attack with tear gas and batons and rushed Hastey to a prison medical facility where he was given emergency treatment.

He was pronounced dead just after midday, prison officials said. No cause of death or details of his injuries were released.

The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death as a homicide.

Last June, Hastey was sentenced in Trinity County to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the January 2019 murder of Nathan Purdue, 28.

Hastey was 16 when he killed Mr Purdue because he thought the older man was making advances towards his 17-year-old girlfriend.

While awaiting trial, Hastey was locked up in juvenile halls, but he repeatedly assaulted other inmates, as well as a custodial officer.

He was transferred to an adult jail and eventually tried and convicted as an adult last year. 

Dolan, 30, is serving a nearly six-year sentence from Ventura County for assault and resisting an officer.

Ellison, 39, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for a murder in Riverside County in 2004.

Since then he’s received further sentences for making deadly weapons and twice for assaulting a fellow prisoner, once in 2005 and the second time in 2017.

Associated Press contributed to this report