Arrests made in beating death of Clovis man in Hobbs prison

Three inmates were charged Wednesday in the Jan. 3 beating death of a Clovis man at a Hobbs prison.

Martin Knief, 30, Lorenzo Mora, 30, and Christopher Morrisette, 31, have been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and intimidation of a witness.

Paul Lasner, 31, was pronounced dead at a Hobbs hospital after he was transported there with injuries sustained in a reported battery, police have said.

Lasner was at the Lea County Correctional Facility serving a life sentence for the 1998 drive-by shooting death of 17-year-old Johnny Joe Lucero in Clovis.

He had been at the facility since April, officials have said.

The 350,000-square-foot prison houses more than 1,200 medium-security male inmates. The facility opened in 1998 and is located four miles northwest of Hobbs.