U.S. jail death of Jewish activist probed

PHOENIX, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The killing of a Jewish Defense League leader in a Phoenix prison just days after his transfer from Los Angeles is being investigated by the FBI.

Earl Krugel, 62, of Reseda, Calif., was struck on the head with a concrete block Friday, and was pronounced dead at the scene, The Washington Times reported Tuesday.

Now, Krugel's former attorney, Mark Werksman is questioning why Krugel had been transferred to the Arizona prison after being held in protective custody at Los Angeles' federal Metropolitan Detention Center since his 2001 arrest.

"There were death threats against him precisely because he was a militant Jewish activist," he said.

Sentenced in September to 20 years for one count of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of worshippers at a mosque and one count of carrying an explosive device, Krugel had been at the medium-security prison for three days when the attack occurred.

The JDL, which says it has 13,000 members, was founded in 1968 in New York by Rabbi Meir Kahane as an armed response to anti-Semitism.