An Arizona inmate suspected of killing three other inmates during a prison fight in April told a reporter that he was aiming for a higher body count.
Ricky Wassenaar, 62, spoke with a reporter from KPHO, a local CBS affiliate, for a podcast about his alleged role in an April 4 fight at the Arizona State Prison Complex Tuscon, Cimarron Unit, which killed three other inmates: Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley.
During his conversation, Wassenaar openly admitted to the alleged murders and stated that he was aiming for a higher number.
“My goal was at least seven, but I was hoping for a baker’s dozen,” he said, using a slang term for the number 13.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to receive the most recent real-life crime stories directly to your inbox.
Wassenaar has been incarcerated since 1987, after being convicted of armed robbery. He was part of the infamous 2004 attempted jailbreak at the Lewis Complex, which resulted in a 15-day standoff.
Two guards were held hostage, including one female guard who was repeatedly raped.
In the KPHO podcast interview, Wassenaar stated that he targeted inmates who had been convicted of child sex crimes. One of the alleged victims, Alvarez, was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Wassenaar informed the reporter that his target had “kidnapped, raped, and murdered a 15-year-old little girl.” He said, “I did society a favor by killing that maggot.”
Both Harnage and Lashley were imprisoned for sexual conduct with a minor, and Lashley was also found guilty of child molestation.
Wassenaar informed KPHO that he had “several targets, all child molesters.” However, his alleged killing spree was limited because, as he stated, “I jumped the gun.”
He described his position prior to the alleged attack.
“The way the prison is situated when they let out for breakfast or meal times, they lock us in what they call a chute,” he told me. “There’s a cage outside the chow hall. Once we’re locked in, there’s nowhere to go; we’re all in there.”
He went on to say, “If I had waited until that chute was locked — that cage was locked, and we were all locked in — I would have killed at least seven people.” My goal was at least seven, but I hoped for a dozen.”
Wassenaar claimed that he gave prison guards fair warning of his alleged plans to murder child molesters, including the apparent killing of one of his cellmates in November 2024.
Joseph Desisto, convicted of child molestation and abuse, was discovered dead in the cell he shared with Wassenaar at the time. The 81-year-old’s death was ruled as natural.
After telling KPHO how he allegedly strangled Desisto to death, he claimed he was never accused of killing his cellmate.
“When I got back to the yard, the inmates couldn’t believe it because they all know that I killed that dude,” he told me. “Every inmate knew. And they sent me back to the yard, saying, ‘What the hell?’ I said, ‘Man, there’s higher powers at work here. This will happen again. It will happen again when they put another person in my cell. So I warned them for at least a month.
He reportedly told KPHO that his alleged murder of Desisto was a rehearsal. When the reporter asked if he was a “monster,” Wassenaar replied, “Of course not!” If a child molester hurts or abuses a child, I consider myself their monster. “I am their monster.”
Wassenaar was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is still incarcerated.
