Prisoner giggles as he learns fate for viciously stabbing cellmate in the brain with pen

A man already serving life in prison in Florida has been handed another life sentence after killing his cellmate in a brutal attack inside a correctional facility.

Marcus Terry, 43, appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole for the 2021 killing of 64-year-old Ray Matos at Dade Correctional Institution in Homestead. Terry had previously been convicted in December 2025 of second-degree murder in the case.

During the hearing, his defense attorney, Steven Yermish, asked for a new trial, arguing that improper evidence had been presented to the jury. Judge Ellen Sue Venzer rejected that request and moved forward with sentencing, describing the details of the attack in court.

According to the judge, Terry forced a pillowcase into Matos’s mouth and was found standing over him with blood on his hands when correctional officers entered the cell. Investigators said Matos had been fatally stabbed in the head with a pen. The two men had reportedly shared a cell for less than a week.

As the judge recounted the events, Terry reacted by laughing and smiling. When questioned about his behavior, he responded that he found the situation amusing. The judge made clear she did not share that view, condemning both his actions and his reaction in court before issuing the sentence.

Court records indicate that Matos was found lying in a pool of blood, while Terry was seated on a lower bunk nearby.

At the time of the killing, Terry was already serving a life sentence for armed burglary and armed robbery. He retains the right to appeal the latest conviction and sentence.