Arizona Senate committee will investigate allegations that prisoner killed 3 inmates in 24 hours

An Arizona state Senate committee is launching an investigation after one prisoner is suspected of killing three other inmates within 24 hours.

Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell agreed to the investigation after being sent a letter by state Sen. Kevin Payne, a Republican.

“Absolutely we are cooperating,” Thornell said. “I am going to be meeting with Sen. Payne in the coming days to have a conversation about his letter, his concerns and address his questions and the documentation he has requested.”

The letter demanded answers from the Arizona State Prison Complex-Tucson and Department of Corrections by May 1.

“It takes a lot of time to help really fully understand how we run prisons day to day and the various dynamics,” Thornell said. “But that’s where I would start is helping shed light on what is really happening in those prison units that leads to situations like this.”

In his letter, Payne asked why Ricky Wassenaar, the accused inmate, was not in maximum security due to his criminal record. Wassenaar was convicted of 19 charges as part of a 2004 hostage standoff at the Lewis Prison in Buckeye, where he was already serving multiple life sentences.

“It’s not an isolated situation, it's not one isolated factor. It's a combination of many things that we think will bring a better solution to statewide incarceration,” Thornell said. “So that’s what we are going to work through.”