‘Most Violent Prisoner in US’ Spent Decades in Soundproof Cell with Lights on 24-Hours a Day

Thomas Silverstein, who became known as “Terrible Tommy” committed three murders while behind bars after being caged for armed robbery – and his explosive nature gave him notoriety in the prison system

When prisoner Thomas Silverstein died at the age of 67 in a Colorado hospital, it marked the end of one of the longest stays in solitary confinement ever in the USA.

Silverstein, who had earned the nickname “Terrible Tommy” while behind bars, had been serving a life sentence without chance of parole.

He’d spent 35 years of that sentence – more than half his life – alone in a soundproof cell where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day.

Considered the most dangerous prisoner in America, Silverstein was put into solitary confinement after brutally murdering prison guard Merle Clutts.

On October 22, 1983, the killer was let out of his cell at Marion supermax prison for a shower and managed to get Clutts to walk ahead of him. He managed to get another inmate to hand him a shank and used a homemade key to undo his handcuffs.

Then he seized his opportunity to attack, stabbing Clutts several times with the shank. After Clutts died, Silverstein claimed the guard had been harassing him.

Just hours later, an accomplice of Silverstein, Clayton Fountain, stabbed guard Robert Hoffman to death using exactly the same method.

Following the attack, Silverstein was transferred to a special “no human contact” cell at Atlanta Prison.

Silverstein was first jailed for armed robbery in 1971 when he was just 19 years old. After spending four years locked up in a California prison, he was released on parole.

However, it wasn’t long before “Terrible Tommy” was rearrested along with his dad and cousin for committing three armed robberies.

In 1977, he was jailed again for 15 years at a prison in Kansas.

While there, he became involved with neo-nazi gang, Aryan Brotherhood, which operates as an organised crime syndicate both inside and outside prisons in the US.

In 1980, Silverstein was convicted of murdering fellow inmate Danny Atwell, who had reportedly refused to act as a drug mule for the gang.

He was sentenced to life without parole for the killing and sent to high-security prison USP Marion, although the murder conviction was later overturned.

The following year, Silverstein was convicted of another inmate murder – Robert Chappelle, who was a member of rival prison gang, D.C. Blacks.

Maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, Silverstein had another rival gang member to contend with – Raymond Lee “Cadillac” Smith, who had been transferred to the same high control unit at USP Marion. Silverstein was held at several high security prisons (

Cadillac, who was the leader of the D.C Blacks, was convinced of Silverstein’s guilt over Chapelle’s murder and sought revenge for the killing.

But Silverstein and Clayton Fountain got to Cadillac first, stabbing him 67 times with improvised weapons.

After he was dead, the pair barbarically dragged his body up and down prison corridors to show to other inmates.

But it was the killing of Merle Clutts that ensured Silverstein would spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement. He was transferred out of USP Marion, which was placed in an indefinite lockdown, and moved to the Atlanta Prison.

It’s also thought his explosive behaviour behind bars was the driving force behind the building of so-called supermax (super maximum security) prisons in the US.

Pete Earley, a journalist who once interviewed Silverstein, said: “Silverstein’s actions were responsible for ushering in a new era in modern-day corrections.”

In his new specially-made cell, Silverstein spent his days under constant surveillance. The light in his suite was never turned off so cameras could monitor his movements 24 hours a day.

His meals were delivered through a slot in his cell door, and he was severely restricted in visitors. He was allowed just two phone calls with the outside world every month.

As he was moved between prisons, the strict surveillance was maintained. Silverstein was allowed out for exercise for one hour a day and had a black and white television for entertainment.

The multiple murderer turned to writing to described his plight in solitary confinement and was reported to be working on an autobiography when he died.

He once wrote: “Drip, drip, drip. The minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, constantly drip away with no end or relief in sight.”

Silverstein had also claimed the life he lived in solitary confinement was “torturous.”

When Silverstein fell ill in 2019, after suffering complications from heart surgery, it was his first respite from solitary confinement since 1987.

He died at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado on 11 May, 2019.

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Original Article: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/most-violent-prisoner-us-spent-25487079