Lawrence Phillips, former running back for the National Football League (NFL) San Francisco 49ers, is suspected of killing his cellmate in a central Californian prison. Officials had reported the matter on Monday.

Prison spokesman Lt. Marshall Dennings released a statement revealing how Phillips' cellmate at the Kern Valley State Prison was found last Saturday unresponsive. When he was brought to a hospital he died.

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Details on the case have not been shared through official channels immediately.

The cellmate of the 39-year old Phillips was 37-year old Damion Soward.

Soward was serving 82 years to life for first-degree murder.

Phillips on the other hand is sentenced to serve more than 31 years and four months for inflicting great bodily injury, corporal injury to spouse, false imprisonment, and vehicular theft, the official statement read.

In 2005, he was convicted twice for choking his girlfriend. One of those two instances saw his girlfriend lose consciousness. Afterwards, he was convicted for driving his car into three teens after a pickup game with his team in Los Angeles.

Phillips was once one of the top football players for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Later on, he would enter the NFL and play for the St. Louis Rams. However, in 1997, he was released due to insubordination.

He then went on to play for the Miami Dolphins and the 49ers.

The linking of Phillips to the death of Soward has no concrete evidence. However, prison officials are suspecting another inmate for killing his cellmate. While the two occurrences are separated, it is unclear if the two deaths are related.

John Munoz, a 24-year old sentenced to 42 years for sexual battery, is suspected of killing 41-year old Rattanak Kim who was serving 35 years for conspiracy to commit murder.

Phillips will be placed in a separate cell until the investigation reaches an outcome. 

TagsLawrence Phillips, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, prison killing