Grand jury indicts Nebraska State Penitentiary inmate in the murder of his cellmate

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A grand jury indicted a man in the murder of his cellmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary on Oct. 29, 2022.

Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon announced Monday a grand jury made up of 16 people returned an indictment charging Tyler Stanford with first-degree murder in the killing of his cellmate, Philip Garcia.

Under Nebraska Law, a grand jury is called whenever “a person has died while being apprehended by of while in the custody of a law enforcement officer of detention personnel.” The grand jury determines whether an offense against Nebraska criminal laws occurred regarding the death.

Following the indictment being filed, the District Court of Lancaster County scheduled Stanford to virtually appear from the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution for his initial court appearance on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

This is an ongoing investigation. The Lancaster County Attorney’s Office coordinated with investigators from the Nebraska State Patrol, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln Police Department.

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