ELOY, AZ Christopher Pendleton, a 38-year-old prisoner who is confined at the private institution on behalf of the Idaho Department of Corrections, was identified by the Eloy Police Department as the victim of a homicide that occurred at the Saguaro Correctional Center.
The murder took place at the prison on East Arica Road in Eloy early on August 20, 2025. According to police, at around 9:27 a.m., they got a call informing them of the event. Pendleton was declared dead at the site despite the response of emergency medical services.
The next of kin for Pendleton has been notified. The investigation is being handled by the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Eloy Police Department in collaboration with the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Saguaro Correctional Center.
Idaho Connection
Hawaii and Idaho have contracts with CoreCivic to keep prisoners in the Saguaro Correctional Center. In an attempt to control overpopulation within the state, Idaho transports inmates there. Pendleton was one of the prisoners from Idaho being housed at the facility in Arizona.
The investigation is still underway, according to the authorities, and more details will be made public as soon as they become available.
