Arizona Lawmaker Demands Accountability After Triple Homicide at Tucson Prison

An Arizona State lawmaker is demanding answers in the wake of a triple homicide that occurred earlier this month inside the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson.

Arizona State Representative Quang Nguyen, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Arizona Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell demanding answers about the deaths of three inmates, killed on April 4 in what officials described as an “altercation” within the Cimarron Unit.

The sole suspect named by the Department of Corrections is Ricky Wassenaar, a violent repeat offender with a notorious history that includes a 2004 prison escape attempt and hostage crisis that resulted in 16 life sentences.

“The fact that Ricky Wassenaar — a violent criminal with an extensive history, including the 2004 hostage crisis at Lewis Prison — was able to take the lives of three fellow inmates demands an immediate and honest explanation,” Nguyen wrote. “The public is entitled to know why someone serving multiple life sentences was not tightly secured. His capacity to kill three other inmates in a single day suggests that either the management and operation of the Tucson facility is incompetent, or our system has become dangerously lenient when firmness is required.”

Nguyen’s letter raises sharp questions about ADCRR’s operational decisions, including why Wassenaar was ever placed in a lower-security unit after a long track record of violence, repeated disciplinary violations, and even confessing to a separate killing inside his cell last year.

“The Department knew who Wassenaar was. They were warned. They ignored the warnings. Now, three people are dead,” Nguyen said. “This matter must not be brushed aside or left to internal spin. It demands more than an internal review — it demands openness and accountability to the public we serve. The safety of correctional staff and inmates alike depends on the Department’s ability to recognize and act upon clear warning signs.”

In his letter, Nguyen has requested that the Department of Corrections provide a post-incident report, high-risk inmate protocols, records related to Ricky Wassenaar’s past threats, and an explanation of how inmate violence is addressed by May 13.