Correctional Officer John V. Mills

John V. Mills

Correctional Officer John Mills was beaten to death at Soledad Prison by three inmates in retaliation for the deaths of three inmates the previous week.

His body was found in the Y Wing, which was a medium security cell block and had been locked in with 95 other prisoners. A few months later, on July 23, 1970, Correctional Officer William Shull was stabbed to death in retaliation.

On July 21, 1971, Officer Leo Davis was stabbed to death at the San Quentin State Prison while guarding a prisoner who was a witness to Officer Shull's murder. Three inmates were attempting to gain access to the prisoner's hospital cell to murder him and attacked Officer Davis in an attempt to get his keys.

All three inmates were charged with first-degree murder. Two of the inmates were tried and acquitted in March of 1972. The evidence revealed that it was the third inmate who killed Officer Mills. That inmate, who was awaiting his trial at San Quentin, was shot and killed by a guard during a prison riot on August 21, 1971. The riot, which he was personally responsible for starting, resulted in the deaths of three Correctional Officers: Officer Frank Deleon, Sergeant Jere Graham, and Officer Paul Krasenes.

Officer Mills was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 14 months. He had recently been assigned to the Y Wing of the prison. He was survived by his wife, son, mother, and sister.