SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - For the second time in three days, a condemned inmate has died after decades on California’s death row, officials said Tuesday.
Royce Lyn Scott, 62, had been on death row since 1997 for the Riverside County murder and sexual assault of 78-year-old Della Morris in her home, with the special circumstances of killing her while committing burglary, rape and sodomy.
Scott died Sunday at an outside hospital. Officials said his cause of death will be determined by an autopsy, but foul play was not suspected.
Two days earlier, an inmate condemned to death nearly four decades ago for killing a police officer in Contra Costa County died of natural causes at age 71.
Prison officials said James Odle died at an outside hospital 37 years after he was sent to the nation’s largest death row at San Quentin State Prison, which has 708 condemned inmates.
California hasn’t executed anyone since 2006. Gov. Gavin Newsom has halted executions so long as he is governor.
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