Inmate accused of slashing convicted killer Paul Flores enters plea in Fresno County
An inmate accused of attacking Paul Flores — the convicted killer of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart — pleaded not guilty Monday to four felonies, including attempted murder.
Jason Budrow, 43, appeared in Fresno County Superior Court to enter his plea to charges of attempted murder, assault by an inmate serving a life sentence, assault with a deadly weapon by an inmate and possession of an inmate manufactured weapon.
Budrow, who is already serving two life sentences, is accused of using the “inmate manufactured weapon” to slash Flores in the neck Aug. 23 while on the yard of the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga.
If convicted on all charges, Budrow faces 27-years-to-life.
Flores recovered from his injuries after being treated at Community Regional Medical Center. Budrow will return to court March 11 for a pre-preliminary hearing.
What prompted the bloody attack is unclear, but prison officials said this is the second time Budrow has been involved in a clash with another inmate.
In March 2021, while at the Mule Creek State Prison in Amador County, Budrow fatally strangled cellmate Roger Reece Kibbe, a serial rapist and killer dubbed by the media as the “I-5 Strangler.”
In 2011, Budrow was convicted of strangling and murdering his girlfriend in Riverside County.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Inmate accused of slashing convicted killer Paul Flores enters plea in Fresno County."
