The Randolph County coroner has ruled another inmate death as a murder at the Menard maximum-security prison in Chester.
Coroner Randy Dudenbostel says 35-year-old William Crowder died March 26 from ``manual strangulation.'' The coroner classified the death as a homicide. State's Attorney Jeremy Walker was not immediately available to comment on criminal charges.
Crowder was found dead in his cell in the prison's segregation unit at 10:36 p.m. Crowder's was the third murder since Jan. 31. Walker previously filed murder charges against former Menard inmates for the deaths of 25-year-old Jason Hall and 64-year-old Yusuf Abuzir.
A Department of Corrections spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
