Prison inmate serving 30-year sentence for 2001 killing of girlfriend in Bend dies at age 76

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- An Oregon State Penitentiary inmate serving a 30-year term for killing his girlfriend in Bend nearly 35 years ago has died in the Salem state prison, the Oregon Department of Corrections said Monday.

James Byron Coon, 76, died on Sunday morning in the infirmary while on hospice care. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, the agency said.

Coon was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the February 2021 killing of Patty Darlene Flynn, 41, The Bulletin reported at the time. That included a mandatory 25-year term for Flynn's murder and five years for threatening to kill the woman if she testified against him in an earlier domestic violence case.

Bend Police found the woman dead at Coon's home, and an autopsy found she died of probable asphyxiation.

Coon entered Department of Corrections custody on Oct. 26, 2001, from Deschutes County, with an earliest release date of August 11, 2029.

The agency said his next of kin has been notified.

DOC said it takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of about 12,000 men and women incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

OSP is a multi-custody prison located in Salem. Additional information about the Oregon Department of Corrections can be found at www.oregon.gov/doc.