Autopsies to Determine Cause of Death for Two San Quentin Death Row Inmates

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SAN QUENTIN — Two California death row inmates who were housed at San Quentin State Prison died only one day apart, both of unknown causes.

Herminio Serna, 53, who was placed on California’s death row from Santa Clara County was pronounced dead at San Quentin State Prison on Monday, December 3, 2018, at 8:37 p.m. His cause of death is unknown and will be determined by an autopsy. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said that Serna was sentenced to death by a jury on November 21, 1997, for the murder of Esteban Guzman, Marcos Baca, and Sheila Apodaca. Those who committed the murder with Serna, including James Trujeque, 66, and Bobby Lopez, Jr., 53, were sentenced to death as well in 1997 for a series of gang-related murders in the San Jose area.

Only a day later on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, Joseph A Perez, 47, who was placed on death row from Contra Costa County was found unresponsive in his San Quentin State Prison cell on December 4th at 9:11 p.m. Emergency lifesaving measures were started, but Perez was pronounced dead at 9:21 p.m. An autopsy will be performed to determine his cause and manner of death. Perez was sentenced to death in Contra Costa County on January 25, 2012, for the March 24, 1998, murder of Janet Daher, 46. Daher was strangled and stabbed in her Lafayette home during a home invasion robbery