Convicted Murderer Beaten In Jail

Fellow inmates attacked and beat a convicted murderer inside the Santa Cruz County Main Jail on Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office reported.

Kenneth Clamp, 41, was attacked in the J-Unit day room by three other inmates, Joshua Michael Donellan, Benjamin Dess and Tilden Jordan Ball, according to a report filed by jail staff. He retreated to the patio inside that unit, where guards found him on the ground with Donellan standing over him, holding two sticks, the report stated.

Clamp suffered serious injuries to his head, face, eyes and right leg, according to jail staff.

Clamp was on trial with Adam Hunt, 31. Hunt was charged with helped beat Elias Sorokin, and Clamp threw his body down a cliff after a botched Santa Cruz robbery attempt.

Only Clamp was found guilty of murder, a conviction that will likely send him—already a convicted felon—to prison for the rest of his life. Hunt was found guilty only of robbing marijuana and money from Sorokin.

Sorokin, a Los Angeles entrepreneur, was allegedly called to Santa Cruz by a third man, Stewart Skuba, who is charged with murder and will be tried Oct. 3. Skuba reportedly planned to use chloroform to knock out Sorokin and steal 10 pounds of pot from him, a plan that failed.

Donellan was in custody for a parole violation and possessing stolen property; Dess was jailed for drug charges; and Ball was in custody for burglary and a probation violation. All were re-booked on assault charges.