A Burns man who was recently convicted of 2nd Degree Murder is suspected to have committed suicide in the Laramie County jail, according to a release from the Laramie County Sheriff's Department.

Ronald Zimmerman was sentenced last month in District Court to 45 years to life in the Wyoming State prison for shooting his wife in July of 2014. Captain Linda Gesell of the Sheriff's Department says Zimmerman was found dead in his cell at around 1:40 this morning (October 13).

Zimmerman was being held at the Laramie County jail awaiting transfer to the state prison. Gesell says Zimmerman needed a CPAP machine to help him breathe at night and used the cord from the machine to hang himself.

Gesell says Zimmerman was not on suicide watch and had still been apparently resting shortly before 1 a.m. when a routine prisoner check was conducted.  When another check was conducted half an hour later, Zimmerman was seen sitting forward on his bed and had a bluish appearance, according to Gesell.

More From KGAB