Jessie Con-ui

Con-ui was at Canaan serving an 11-year prison sentence stemming from a 2003 guilty plea for his role in a drug ring run by the New Mexican Mafia gang. Following that sentence, he was set to begin serving a life sentence after pleading guilty in 2008 to first-degree murder in Arizona.

In that case, Con-ui allegedly baited friend and fellow gang member Carlos Garcia into meeting him at a Phoenix laundromat. There, two men ambushed and shot Garcia, who managed to slip away before one of the men fired four rounds into his head.

Court documents claim Con-ui also agreed to or participated in several separate, uncharged incidents while incarcerated between 1999 and 2010, including stabbing another inmate with a homemade knife and assaulting another inmate with a food tray.

While out of jail in 2013, court documents allege Con-ui agreed to participate in the murder of a law enforcement officer but was arrested in Arizona before the murder could be carried out.

While incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Canaan from 2009 to the stabbing in 2013.

On 25 February 2013, Con-ui kicked corrections officer Eric Williams down a flight of stairs. Con-ui then descending the stairs pulled out a shank made out of an unknown object he then attacked Williams for 11 minutes, while other prisoners watched none stopping Con-ui. Williams was stabbing 203 times, his body kicked dozens of times and head slammed into the floor killing Williams.

Finally a fellow corrections officer who entered looking for Williams found him at the bottom of the stairs. Con-ui standing over Williams' body. First aid was administered by other corrections staff. But were unsuccessful in reviving Williams. Williams body was transported to and area hospital and Con-ui was immediately taken into custody.

Con-ui was asked by another officer why he did it with Con-ui responding "He disprespected me." simply.

Murder trial

Con-ui was jailed at ADX Florence, a super-maximum federal prison in Fremont County, Colorado, nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.”

Con-ui's trial began on June 5, 2017 with opening statements being held at the Lackawanna County Courthouse. During the first day a 12 minute video showing the graphic attack was played in front of the court room. Con-ui was seen having his eyes covered by his hands and the Williams family left prior to the video stating "We didn't want to see our son, husband and friend like that."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Sempa told the jury, "Eric Williams was two hours from shift end and going home. He never made it home."

Defense attorneys fully admitted to jurors that "Jessie is guilty of murder beyond all doubt" and plan to focus on trying to keep him from being sentenced to death.