Frank Pauline Jr.
Frank Pauline Jr., 42, was held at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces and was found dead in a remote section of the recreation yard on April 27, 2015, his birthday. The New Mexico Department of Public Safety and court documents say another prisoner, Daniel Thomas Hood, confessed to the killing and has been indicted for first-degree murder, and that he struck Pauline repeatedly in the head with a rock. Pauline's half brother, John Gonsalves, does not accept that account and believes Frank was set up and targeted for a hit. An attorney for the Hawaii Innocence Project called the stated motive generic and said he had no hard evidence linking the killing to a Hawaii case.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed). State police and court documents say fellow prisoner Daniel Thomas Hood confessed to striking Pauline repeatedly in the head with a rock and has been indicted; his half brother rejects that account and believes he was set up and targeted for a hit, and an attorney for the Hawaii Innocence Project called the stated motive generic and said he had no hard evidence linking the killing to a Hawaii case.
Reported by: New Mexico Department of Public Safety (outside investigators); New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau (outside investigators); New Mexico Corrections Department (the agency that held him); court documents; his half brother; Hawaii Innocence Project attorney (advocates).
Sources (5)
- Man convicted in Dana Ireland murder case dies in Mainland prison
- Man convicted in murder, rape of Dana Ireland dies in N.M. - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Man charged with killing Hawaii inmate Frank Pauline Jr. - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Teenage killer in 1998 Minnesota case accused of slaying inmate
- Man convicted of murder in Minnesota indicted in New Mexico prison killing