ST. CLOUD - A man who was recently sentenced to prison has died in the Stearns County Jail.  Sheriff John Sanner says 22-year-old Jerod Jakel of Sauk Rapids was found dead in his cell on Sunday at about 5:45 p.m. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging.

Jakel was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison on Thursday for his role in a shooting incident that injured a man in St. Augusta last October.

He was waiting to be taken to the St. Cloud Prison to start his prison sentence.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to three felony counts.

According to the criminal complaint, 30-year-old Erik Magnuson brought Jakel to the victim's house to collect on a drug debt. Jakel is accused of confronting the victim with a gun, and the gun went off during a struggle.

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