Man who died in Santa Maria Jail was first assaulted in Santa Barbara Jail
- Publisher
- Santa Barbara News-Press
- Topic
- Public Safety
- Location
- Santa Barbara News-Press, California, US
- Published
- Sep 26, 2026 · 3:53 AM
Las Vegas Newswire preserves the publisher's attribution and original-source link while adding publisher, topic and related-coverage navigation for readers.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday that a man who died in the Santa Maria jail last week was first assaulted by another inmate at the Santa Barbara County Jail in early September.
James Edward Murphy, 68, was in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on Sunday, Sept. 6, when he was attacked by another inmate named Peter James Anderson, 46.
Murphy was taken to the hospital where he was admitted for two days. After being released from the hospital, Murphy was transferred to the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail on Sept. 10.
During a routine check on Sept. 15, a deputy found Murphy unresponsive in his cell.
The Coroner’s Bureau found that Murphy died by homicide from blunt force trauma that resulted in heart disease, according to Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office.
Anderson was originally booked on Aug. 24 for felony domestic violence, but then booked on the additional charges of murder and elder abuse. He is being held without bail.
The post Man who died in Santa Maria Jail was first assaulted in Santa Barbara Jail appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.
Article at a Glance
- Publisher
- Santa Barbara News-Press
- Author
- Angel Corzo • Santa Barbara News-Press
- Primary topic
- Public Safety
- Coverage
- Santa Barbara News-Press, California, US
- Published
- Sep 26, 2026 · 3:53 AM
About the Publisher
Santa Barbara News-Press is the originating publisher of this Newswire report.
Coverage
This report is associated with Santa Barbara News-Press, California, US based on the location metadata supplied with the story or publisher profile.
Topics & Keywords
Primary topic: Public Safety
Related topics: Public Safety, Santa Barbara News-Press, California, Local News
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