The man found dead Sunday in his jail cell, where he was being held on a murder charge in the grisly killing of his mother on Cape Cod, died of an apparent suicide, officials said.
Adam Howe, 34, was arrested Friday night at a home in Truro after his mother's body was found burning in a yard.
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Officers at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford found Howe unresponsive in his cell, where he was the only occupant, after 3 p.m. Sunday, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Monday.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
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Foul play is not suspected, prosecutors said. Howe was wearing clothing designed for at-risk prisoners and was being checked on regularly — the DA's office characterized them as "random 15-minute spot checks" in a statement.
Several correctional officers and nurses performed CPR on Howe before he was rushed to New Bedford's St. Luke's Hospital, but he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes after he was found, prosecutors said. Howe's death is under investigation by the chief medical examiner's office.
Authorities have yet to reveal many details into what led to Howe's arrest, and the death of his mother, 69-year-old Susan Howe.
Howe was arrested on suspicious of murder after police in Truro found Susan Howe's body burning on the front lawn of a home in a private subdivision off Quail Ridge Road, prosecutors and local police said.
The disturbing scene was discovered after first responders were called to the house for a welfare check around 9:30 p.m., according to an account shared by officials. When first responders arrived at the scene, Adam Howe ran inside the house and locked the door.
The regional SWAT team was called in, and it was able to take Adam Howe into custody. Prosecutors had said he would undergo a mental health evaluation based on information family members told police.
Officials did not provide further information Sunday night about Adam Howe's death, and very few details have been released regarding Susan Howe's death, which left a quiet Cape Cod community where she was a prominent local figure reeling.
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A 34-year-old Adam Howe from Truro was arrested in mid-August in Tewksbury for allegedly breaking into a business there. He was also charged with illegally possessing suboxone, a prescription medication, and on an outstanding warrant from New Hampshire.
Cape Cod prosecutors didn't respond to a question Saturday on whether it was the same person accused of killing his mother.
Susan Howe, 69, served as the president of the Truro Historical Society as well as the chair of the Truro Commission on Disabilities. The organization didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
