Murderer dies in prison cell months into life sentence

He was jailed close to a year earlier for stabbing mother-of-three Kylie Blackwood to death after breaking into her home in August 2013.

Ms Blackwood's twin daughters discovered their mum's body on the couch after she failed to pick them up from school.

Scott Alan Murdoch was found dead in his cell at the Melbourne Assessment Prison. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Justice Jane Dixon described the murder as a savage and cowardly attack as she sentenced him to life behind bars.

She also jailed him over an attack on 73-year-old Ilona Prohaska, three months before the murder. 

Murdoch would have been eligible for parole after 36 years but the Coroners Court on Friday was told the 43-year-old died by suicide in custody. 

Prison staff locked Murdoch in his cell about 4.15pm on April 18, 2021, and then returned an hour later to administer his usual medication through the trap in his cell door.

When staff checked on Murdoch about 6am the next morning, they found him unresponsive on top of his bed covers.

No CPR was performed as it was evident Murdoch was already dead. 

An autopsy report determined the 43-year-old had died from an overdose of prescription medication.

Coroner David Ryan is yet to release his findings into the death but independent reviews were carried out by the justice department and Forensicare.

They determined Murdoch was displaying stable behaviours and no signs of suicide or self-harm risk in the lead-up to his death, despite having a history of poor mental health. 

Murdoch either hoarded 21-days worth of medication or was sourcing it from other prisoners before his fatal overdose, the coroner was told. 

The independent reviews recommended staff find alternative ways to administer medication to prisoners to ensure it was consumed rather than stored. 

Another recommendation was for medical staff to prescribe different medication that was less likely to be lethal in overdose. 

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