Inmate gets 28 years for murder at Michigan prison

MILAN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A federal inmate will spend another 28 years behind bars after he killed a fellow inmate at a Michigan prison.

A jury convicted Jason Dale Kechego, 41, of second-degree murder. 

His new sentence will run consecutively to a 10-year sentence he is currently serving for a stolen firearm.

Authorities said Kechego and co-defendant Adam Taylor Wright, 42, killed fellow inmate Christian Maire at Milan Correctional Facility on Jan. 2, 2019. Kechego and Wright repeatedly kicked and stomped Maire in the head, and Wright prevented corrections officers from intervening while Maire was allegedly being repeatedly stabbed by co-defendant Alex Albert Castro. 

Court records allege that Kechego, along with his two co-defendants, then threw Maire’s body down a flight of stairs. Maire was stabbed 28 times and died from the stabbing.

Authorities said the men then celebrate Maire's death.

"We are committed to protecting the public, prisoners, and correctional staff from dangerous people like Jason Kechego. This lengthy additional sentence will not only keep him off the streets for decades, but also sends a message that we will hold individuals accountable for the crimes they commit both inside and outside of prison walls," said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison.

Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February 2022 and was recently sentenced to 292 months for his role in the killing. Castro, 42, is currently awaiting trial in February 2023.