Crime Mass. Man Accused of Killing Mom and Setting Her on Fire Dies in Custody After Choking on Wet Toilet Paper Adam Howe was found dead Sunday afternoon in a New Bedford jail cell, days after allegedly killing his own mother By Chris Harris Chris Harris Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. An award-winning journalist who has worked for Rolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 4, 2022 12:05PM EDT Days after police arrested him for his own mother's murder, a 34-year-old Massachusetts man was discovered dead inside his jail cell, after apparently stuffing wet toilet paper down his throat. According to officials, Adam Howe had expressed suicidal thoughts prior to being found dead just before 5:15 p.m. on Sunday at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford, where he had been sent following his arrest on Friday. A statement from the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office confirms Howe was arrested for murdering his mother, 69-year-old Susan Howe. Authorities had been asked to check in on Susan's well-being, the statement explains. They also received a separate report about a fire. "Emergency personnel responded to a location in Truro at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday night," the statement reads. "Upon arrival, they encountered a male subject outside the house and a fire on the front lawn." Susan Howe and Adam Howe. Facebook According to the statement, "emergency personnel realized that it was a body that was burning" on the lawn, and watched as "the male subject ran into the house and locked the door" behind him. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A SWAT team was summoned to breach the home and pull Howe out. "Howe, experiencing difficulty breathing, was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, arriving there at approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning," the statement continues. "He was shackled to a gurney after being examined and being watched by hospital personnel with eyes on him at all times. In the room also were Massachusetts State Police and security personnel from the hospital. The hospital wanted to have him discharged as soon as practical and efforts were made to contact a secure facility to take him." Howe was transferred to the Ash Street Jail. Howe's discharge papers noted that he had expressed "suicidal ideation" while at the hospital.