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Inmate death at Howard County Jail under investigation

Kristen L. Wolf, of Madison, also will plead guilty to attempted murder and attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon.
Kristen L. Wolf, of Madison, also will plead guilty to attempted murder and attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon.

An inmate at Howard County Jail died in his cell on Sunday.

Donald L. Helton was found unconscious and unresponsive just before noon, according to a statement from Sheriff Jerry Asher.

The jail’s medical personnel immediately started CPR with assistance from Ascension St. Vincent Hospital paramedics.

Helton was pronounced dead at 12:05 pm. He was 64 years old.

Helton’s family has been notified.

The Howard County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy Feb. 27 and found no signs of foul play in Helton’s death. The coroner said in a statement that preliminary results show Helton died naturally from a heart related issue.

Toxicology testing will determine the final cause of death in six to eight weeks.

This story has been updated to include autopsy information.