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Authorities: Man slain by cellmate from Kent Co. at Michigan prison

Posted at 9:27 AM, Apr 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-12 09:27:24-04

TITTABAWASSEE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a 44-year-old man imprisoned at the Saginaw Correctional Facility in mid-Michigan was killed by his cellmate.

The Michigan Department of Corrections say Michael E. Anastasio was found unresponsive in his cell Monday and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Department spokesman Chris Gautz tells MLive.com that Anastasio’s 20-year-old bunkmate was alone in the cell with him at the time of the assault. Preliminary autopsy results say Anastasio died of blunt force trauma. The suspect has been transferred to a maximum security prison.

The death is under investigation.

Gautz says Anastasio had several felony convictions and most recently was sentenced to prison in 2018 for crimes in Macomb and Wayne counties. He says the suspect was imprisoned for armed robbery in Kent County.