observed Ferguson drag Slaughter out from underneath one of the beds in the cell. Ignoring orders to stop, Ferguson continued to strike Slaughter's head against the concrete floor and kick the back of his head until he was restrained. Slaughter was transported to an area hospital, where he died on August 8, 2006. In July 2009, Ferguson was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Ferguson's sentence was overturned on appeal and he was resentenced to 96 months in prison in 2011. Ferguson served his sentence at Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado, and was released in 2018. John Balazs, the attorney who defended Ferguson, argued that the Federal Bureau of Prisons was partially at fault for Slaughter's death, mainly because Slaughter had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and USP Atwater was not properly equipped to address Slaughter's condition. In addition, Ferguson had asked corrections officials to move Slaughter out of his cell and Ferguson did not start the fight. Notable inmates (current and former) †The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 eliminated parole for federal inmates. However, inmates sentenced for offenses committed prior to 1987 are eligible for parole consideration. See also List of U.S. federal prisons Federal Bureau of Prisons Incarceration in the United States References External links USP Atwater Atwater Buildings and structures in Merced County, California Atwater 2001 establishments in California