KESQ TV
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — A South Dakota man who was awaiting trial in an Indio, California jail, has been killed by his cellmate.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, 48-year-old John Hemmer was found with significant traumatic injuries during a routine safety check at the John J. Benoit Detention Center on Wednesday morning.
Despite lifesaving efforts, Hemmer was pronounced dead and the housing area of the jail was secured as a crime scene.
The name of the suspect has not yet been released.
Hemmer was being held on charges of torture, attempted murder, and spousal abuse stemming from a February 2019 case.
According to Hemmer’s mother, Linda Hemmer, he was scheduled to go to trial on the charges on August 31.
(This story was corrected and updated at 4:27 p.m., 7/26/21 to note that Hemmer was not charged with rape and was not serving time but awaiting trial when he was killed.)
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