A self-described Satanist California inmate, who choked the “I-5 Strangler” to death in his jail cell, allegedly attacked Kristin Smart’s killer in prison and left him in critical condition.
Jason Budrow, a Californian, is suspected of assaulting Paul Flores on August 23, one week after Flores had been transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, located in Coalinga (about 60 miles south of Fresno).
In an email, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said that “yard staff” saw Flores drop to the ground in between the recreation yard and the clinic.
“Suspect Jason Budrow, who was found nearby with an improvised weapon, surrendered to the staff without incident.” He surrendered without incident to the staff.”
Flores, who was in a serious condition when he was taken to the hospital, remained there for two days, before being returned to prison.
The CDCR refused to answer any questions regarding the attack or how Budrow gained access to Flores, nor where Budrow and Flores were currently housed. Authorities have not stated what was the motive for the ambush.
The department stated that it is only able to provide limited information on the housing of incarcerated individuals for reasons of safety and security.
Flores was sentenced to 25 years up to life in prison for the 1996 murder of Smart, a 19-year-old student at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.
He was convicted of the cold case, which dated back decades, earlier this year despite the fact that Smart’s corpse was never located. She was legally declared dead in 2002.
Budrow, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2010 for strangling his girlfriend, killed Roger Reece Kibbe (81), his Mule Creek State Prison roommate in 2021.
Kibbe, a man who hunted women on the Interstate 5 corridor from Sacramento to Stockton in the 1970s & 1980s, was called the “I-5 Strangler”.
He is known to have raped or strangled seven women, and for cutting their clothing in irregular patterns.
Budrow claimed that he deliberately arranged for Kibbe to be in the same cell as him after watching the television coverage. He then killed Kibbe because he had “a mission to avenge” Kibbe’s victims.
Budrow, after the murder in prison, was placed in restrictive housing at Pleasant Valley State Prison. This is reserved for those prisoners “who may pose a threat to others or themselves, or whose behavior disrupts the safe and orderly operation of the facility,” as per the corrections department.
Budrow claimed that he deliberately arranged for Kibbe to be in the same cell as him after watching the television coverage. He then killed Kibbe because he had “a mission to avenge” Kibbe’s victims.
Budrow, after the murder in prison, was placed in a restrictive housing unit at Pleasant Valley State Prison. This is for prisoners “who may pose a threat to others or themselves, or whose behavior disrupts the safe and orderly operation of the facility,” as per the corrections department.
Budrow, in prison interviews, described himself as a Satanist and has a tattoo of “666” over his right eye.
Budrow is currently serving two-lifetime sentences. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has the final say on whether or not to charge him.
