Jasper County Jail Inmate Dies in Cell

Jasper County authorities say the death of an inmate in his cell at the jail in Newton appears to have been due to natural causes.

Jasper County Sheriff Ed Francis said 49-year-old Keith D. Oliver of Newton was found dead in his cell about 10:30pm Sunday by a correctional officer.  The officer attempted to resuscitate Oliver, but was unsuccessful. 

There were no signs of trauma.  An autopsy conducted Monday determined that Oliver suffered an aneurism.

Francis said Oliver had been in jail on a misdemeanor charge for 24 hours prior to his death.  He said Oliver had a cellmate, but the cellmate was in a commons area at the jail at the time of Oliver's death, not in the cell.

Francis said it's the first such incident at the jail since he's been sheriff.