Nashville, N.C. — Convicted killer and former Durham mayoral candidate Michael Peterson served 10 days in segregation at Nash Correctional Institution this month after he was found with another prisoner's medications, authorities said.

Peterson is serving a life sentence for killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson, in December 2001. Her body was found on a stairwell in their home on Cedar Street in Durham.

This was Peterson's second time in segregation in the past month.

Correction officers placed Peterson, 63, a former newspaper columnist and novelist, in segregation July 12 while they investigated unspecified allegations against him.

In segregation, Peterson was isolated from other inmates, confined to his cell for 23 hours a day and denied visitor, television and phone privileges.