NEWTON – An Iowa man was found dead in a jail cell and police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
On February 5, 2024, at approximately 2:48 AM, a request for medical care was made by the Jasper County Jail for an inmate that was unresponsive and whom later was pronounced deceased. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations, began investigating the death. The name of the inmate was withheld pending notification to the family.
Then, on Thursday, February 8, 2024 family members of the deceased inmate had been notified and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office released an update to the public. The name of the deceased as Elisha John Asberry, age 52 of South English, Iowa.
No foul play is suspected, said Sheriff John R. Halferty, and no further information will be released until the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation completes their investigation.