Ritchie Inmate Kills Himself

HARRISVILLE - A Ritchie County man scheduled to go on trial next month on charges he killed a state trooper hanged himself with a bed sheet in his jail cell, state police said Monday.

Dennis Ferguson, 68, of Pullman had been in the Ritchie County Jail without bond since his arrest April 9 on first-degree murder charge in the shooting of Trooper Larry Hacker, 34, of Harrisville.

"He had torn up pieces of his bed sheet and tied them together and then tied it to a bar in the shower area in his cell," said Sgt. Randy Blevins.

Ferguson was found dead about 7:10 a.m. Sunday by a deputy who was serving breakfast.