The death of condemned California inmate Richard R. Ramirez has closed a chapter on a case that remained part of the state’s correctional system for more than four decades. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Ramirez died Sunday night after being transferred from the California Health Care Facility in Stockton to an outside medical facility. He was 66.

Officials said Ramirez was pronounced dead at approximately 10:20 p.m. on May 24. The San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office is expected to determine the official cause of death following an autopsy and medical examination.

Ramirez had been housed at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s California Health Care Facility, a specialized prison medical institution in Stockton that provides treatment and long-term care for inmates with severe physical and mental health conditions.

Authorities confirmed that Ramirez entered California state custody on Aug. 15, 1985, after being convicted in Orange County. Court records showed he was sentenced to death for first-degree murder committed during the commission of rape and sodomy, along with a firearm enhancement related to the crime.

For decades, Ramirez remained among California’s condemned inmate population while housed within the state prison system. The CDCR stated that California currently houses 572 condemned inmates across various facilities.

The California Health Care Facility, which opened in 2013, was designed to address the growing medical and mental health needs of incarcerated individuals requiring specialized treatment. The institution houses thousands of inmates and employs a large healthcare and corrections staff dedicated to long-term medical management.

News of Ramirez’s death has renewed public attention on California’s death row system and the lengthy incarceration periods many condemned inmates face before execution or natural death. California has not carried out an execution since 2006, and many inmates serving death sentences have remained in custody for decades amid ongoing legal and policy debates surrounding capital punishment.

Officials have not released additional details regarding Ramirez’s health prior to his transfer to the outside medical facility. Further information is expected once the coroner completes its investigation and releases official findings regarding the circumstances and cause of death.