Tennessee inmate charged in death of cellmate

WAYNESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee prison inmate has been charged in the death of his cellmate.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that 39-year-old Billy Earl McIllwain was transported to the Wayne County Jail on Thursday and is being held without bond.

The TBI said he’s charged in an April 27 assault on 51-year-old Fidencio Perez during an altercation in their cell at South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton. Perez died as a result of his injuries.

A Wayne County grand jury indicted McIllwain in July on a charge of second-degree murder.

McIllwain is serving life for first-degree murder and was also convicted of assault and weapons charges. Perez was imprisoned on several drug counts.