Inmate charged with murder following Santa Barbara County Jail death

The Santa Barbara County Coroner's Bureau has classified the death of 68-year-old inmate James Edward Murphy as a homicide. An autopsy determined that Murphy's death was caused by heart disease contributed to by blunt force trauma.

Authorities have charged 46-year-old inmate Peter James Anderson with murder and elder abuse in connection to the death. The charges stem from an assault that occurred in a jail day room on September 6. Following the assault, deputies discovered Murphy with injuries and transported him to a hospital for two days of treatment.

After being discharged, Murphy returned to custody on September 8. He was later transferred to the Northern Branch Jail on September 10. On September 15, deputies found Murphy unresponsive in his cell. Despite life-saving efforts by paramedics and jail staff, he was pronounced dead around 1:00 p.m.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office stated that details regarding the initial assault were withheld from the preliminary death notice because the investigation was ongoing. Anderson, who was already in custody for a separate felony domestic violence charge, remains held without bail.