Log in

Buckeye inmate gets second life term for attack on officer

Posted 11/13/19

A man was sentenced to life in prison following his attack on a corrections officer at a Buckeye prison last year.

Leonard Bacon Jr., 51, was sentenced for the attempted murder of a corrections …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Buckeye inmate gets second life term for attack on officer

Posted

A man was sentenced to life in prison following his attack on a corrections officer at a Buckeye prison last year.

Leonard Bacon Jr., 51, was sentenced for the attempted murder of a corrections officer at the Lewis prison. Mr. Bacon had admitted to stabbing the officer with the intent to kill him.

“Corrections officers risk their safety every day to serve a very important role in our system to ensure public safety,” Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel stated. “I am grateful that the officer survived his injuries and that this dangerous offender has been held accountable for this callous act.”

On Oct. 6, 2018, three corrections officers at Lewis went to the cell of inmate Leonard Bacon Jr. to move him to a medical unit after he claimed he was having breathing issues. As one officer approached the open door of the cell, Mr. Bacon pulled a homemade knife and stabbed the officer in the chest. The officer fell to the floor and Mr. Bacon stabbed him in the abdomen as well.

A second officer gained control of Mr. Bacon, who dropped the knife. The injured officer was later interviewed and stated he did not exchange any words with Mr. Bacon before the stabbing.

Mr. Bacon had committed three serious and violent offenses prior to last year's incident. Because the current conviction involved an offense committed while incarcerated in the Arizona Department of Corrections, the new sentence will run consecutively to his previous sentences.

His priors include:

Aggravated assault in 1990 for which he served 11 years in prison;

Attempted second-degree murder in 2001 and sentenced in 2002 to 35 years;

First-degree murder in 2001, receiving a life sentence in 2002.