Convicted child killer dies in Oklahoma prison cell

Oklahoma prison authorities say a 59-year-old man serving life in prison for first-degree murder has been killed in his cell at the state’s maximum security prison.

Anthony Palma was found unresponsive by a correctional officer Friday night in a cell he shared with another inmate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, about 90 miles south of Tulsa.

Attempts to revive Palma were unsuccessful.

Investigators have not said how Palma died but believe the cellmate, who is also serving life in prison for first-degree murder, is responsible for his death. The inmate was not identified.

An Oklahoma County jury convicted Palma in 2017 in the death of 8-year-old Kirsten Hatfield, who disappeared from her home in Midwest City in 1997.