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Case Description
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Joseph Ortega, a **male federal inmate** housed at the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, was found dead on **February 20, 1983**. Prison records and later court testimony show that he was singled out by members of a prison gang after “offending” other inmates, and the plot to kill him was carried out inside the maximum-security facility. Contemporary sources do not disclose his age or ethnic background, but his gender is consistently identified as male.

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Victim Details

Joseph Ortega

Male

Marion

IL

1983-02-20

Joseph

Ortega

11/20/2025