The Massachusetts man accused of killing and burning his mother last week had taken his own life in jail, authorities said.
Adam Howe, 34, choke on wet toilet paper in his cell on Sunday. He was pronounced dead at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.
“Mr. Howe clogged his airways with wet toilet paper and suffered a medical emergency,” the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“Out of respect for the family, we have no additional comment or detail. That family has been through a lot this weekend. Please keep them in your prayers.”
The body of Susan Howe was still burning when the fire department and police responded to her Cape Cod residence Friday night. Her son Adam Howe was found at the scene and arrested by a SWAT team.
After a psychiatric evaluation, Adam Howe was charged with murder and detained on security watch, clothed in a rip-resistant smock with a visual check conducted on him every 15 minutes.
