A former Marine was found dead four hours after he was locked up in a Rikers Island jail cell. The likely cause of death is reported to be extreme dehydration or heat stroke.

56-year-old Jerome Murdough was arrested on trespassing charges when he was caught sleeping in the stairwell of a Harlem apartment rooftop in February. One week later, his bail was set at $2,500 and he was sentenced to jail in a mental health unit that was supposed to do regular checks on inmates every 15 minutes.

After being put in a 6 by 10 cell at 10:30pm, four hours passed before Murdough was checked on again. He was found dead at 2:30am with his body temperature at over 100 Fahrenheit. The cells are equipped with air vents, which other prisoners knew to open in order to stay cool. But the vent in Murdough's room was found closed.

Another factor in his death may have been anti-psychotic and anti-seizure medications which may have impaired his body's ability to sweat.

Murdough joined the Marines directly out of high school and served in Okinawa, Japan. His family said it was after he returned from his service that the mental health issues began and along with that came alcohol dependancy. Murdough had a lengthy criminal history of misdemeanors for trespassing, drinking in public, and minor drug charges.

Alma Murdough, Jerome's mother, was notified by the Associated Press news agency of her son's death almost a month after it occurred.

Rikers Island is the second biggest jail system in the US with 12,000 prisoners, 40% of whom are mentally ill. Advocates for people suffering from mental health issues argue that people in Murdough's situation need special care from a trained staff, not the stiff arm of the law.