PRINCESS ANNE — A former Eastern Correctional Institution inmate, who choked and stomped his cellmate to death in March 2025, was sentenced to life in prison to be served consecutive to any current or outstanding sentences.

Tyjuan Chapple, 27, who is now housed at North Branch Correctional Institution in Cumberland, battered 28-year-old Shane Lanham Jr. who was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell March 29, 2025 and declared dead by emergency medical personnel on their way to the hospital.

“The autopsy of Lanham revealed every facial bone on the right side of his face was broken,” Somerset County State’s Attorney Wess Garner wrote in a press release from his office. “He also had fractures on the left side of his face and injuries to his body and neck. The cause of death was blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. Almost every officer and staff at ECI testified at trial that this was the most horrific incident they had seen while working at ECI.”

Chapple was indicted and pleaded not guilty to the charges at trial this past March. He waived counsel to represent himself, asked no questions, and did not take the stand in his defense during the two-day trial — and the jury returned with guilty verdicts after some 25 minutes of deliberation.

At the conclusion of the trial Circuit Court Judge Daniel W. Powell ordered a long-form pre-sentence investigation. At sentencing, the charges of second degree murder, first degree assault, second degree assault and reckless endangerment were merged into the first degree murder count.

Chapple, described by Parole and Probation as having a “major” prior adult criminal record, was sentenced in 2019 for possession of a firearm with a felony conviction in Prince George’s County and for first degree assault and use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime in Anne Arundel County.

Laham was incarcerated for an assault that occurred in Carroll County.

State’s Attorney Garner was assisted by Assistant State’s Attorney Victoria Bolling at trial. He commended the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Intelligence and Investigative Division, specifically Cpl. Daniel Townsend and Detective Sgt. David Marquette, for their investigation and assistance in the prosecution of this case.