State Releases Details of Abilene Prison Guard’s Murder

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported Monday morning that the prison guard killed at the French Robertson Unit near Abilene was assaulted by an inmate assigned to the prison’s kitchen.

According to the report, inmate Dillion Compton, 21, attacked 55-year-old Correctional Officer Mari Johnson in the early hour Saturday morning, July 16, when Johnson entered a storage area near the kitchen.

Johnson was found “unresponsive” at approximately 3 a.m. and immediately given medical attention. She was rushed to nearby Hendricks Medical Center in Abilene where she was pronounced dead,

Compton was assigned to the kitchen area that morning. He was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 14 in Dallas County and was an inmate with the TDCJ since Dec. 13, 2011.

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Above: Correctional Officer Mari Johnson, 55. (TDCJ Photo)

Since the incident, Compton has been transferred from the French Robertson Unit to an undisclosed maximum security TDCJ unit.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Johnson was “senselessly murdered.” “Like all those who faithfully serve, Mari was dedicated to protecting others, and her service will not be forgotten,” Gov. Abbott said in a statement on Twitter.

The Robertson Unit is located northeast of Abilene. According to Texas Tribune, the prison houses 2881 male inmates, and 408 are there after being convicted of murder. The majority of the inmates are serving sentences of 40 years or greater.

Compton was serving a 25-year sentence that began on Oct. 8, 2010.

TDCJ reported that the Jones County District Attorney, north of Abilene, would receive evidence of the alleged murder once the crime scene is processed and the TDCJ investigation is completed.

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Correction sent in by the TDCJ. The prosecuting office will be the Jones Co. DA. The county is immediately north of Abilene. Also, the incident occurred early Saturday morning of July 16, 2016. The story has been corrected.