ROCKFORD — A federal inmate at Thomson Penitentiary was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering another inmate in 2020 because of his Jewish faith. Prosecutors said Brandon Simonson, 41, of Moorhead, Minn., conspired with Kristopher Martin, 43, of Brazil, Ind., to assault Matthew Phillips as part of an effort to join a white supremacist prison gang. Phillips was beaten unconscious and died three days later. A jury found Simonson guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy, hate crime, and assault, while Martin pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
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