3 Tucson Prisoners Die Of Coronavirus Complications

TUCSON, AZ — Three Tucson inmates died Tuesday in prison following coronavirus complications, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

John Rodrigues, Terry Drake and Anthony Casso died after contracting the virus while being held at the U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson, a prison bureau news release said. A fourth inmate, Murry Bailey, died from coronavirus complications at the same prison on Sunday. All four had long-term pre-existing medical conditions that made them more susceptible to the virus, according to the news release.

Rodrigues, 65, had been serving a life sentence and had been housed in the Tucson prison since 2010. Drake was a 73-year-old serving his sentence at the prison since June 2019. Casso was 78 and Bailey was 71.

There are 6,079 federal inmates and 1,690 bureau staff members across the country who have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. At least 166 inmates and two staff members have died.

USP Tucson is a high security facility that currently houses 1,340 male offenders, the news release said.