He walked into the yard with a deadly mission. Three inmates were dead before the day ended.

The killings happened inside Arizona State Prison Complex-Tucson on April 4, 2025. Ricky Wassenaar, serving 16 life sentences for a 2004 hostage situation, was identified as the only suspect.

Targeting convicted child sex offenders

Wassenaar killed Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley during a violent altercation. Alvarez was serving time for First Degree Murder. Both Harnage and Lashley were convicted of Sexual Conduct with a Minor; Lashley also faced charges of Molestation of a Child.

That’s when officials confirmed Wassenaar admitted to singling out child molesters. He said bluntly, "Child molesters: I wanted to kill them all. That’s all I can say."

No remorse and ongoing investigations

Wassenaar showed no regret, stating, "The taxpayers no longer have to pay for them. I’m paying my debt to society." The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry launched a criminal investigation into the deaths.

The Office of the Inspector General is leading the inquiry while an Arizona Senate committee opened a probe into security protocols at the Tucson prison complex.

From hostage taker to deadly inmate

Wassenaar’s violent past includes a 2005 conviction on 19 charges related to a 2004 hostage incident at another Arizona prison. Those charges ranged from Kidnapping to Aggravated Assault and First-Degree Escape.

That’s when the case took a turn toward questions about prisoner safety and control within state facilities.

A deadly message inside prison walls

The triple killing marks a rare outbreak of lethal violence carried out by an inmate with a clear vendetta. Wassenaar remains under investigation but has not been formally charged yet for these killings.

This incident forces a closer look at how Arizona prisons manage high-risk inmates and what can happen when old scores play out behind bars.