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Weber County jail inmate dies days after reported suicide attempt

Authorities say an inmate believed to have attempted suicide in a county jail in Utah has died.

The Weber County Sheriff’s Office said that 44-year-old Casey James Berensen was found hanging in his jail cell during a routine check last Thursday. Officials say they detected a pulse and transferred him to a local hospital but he died Monday.

Authorities say Berensen’s cell had been checked 13 minutes before he was found and he did not appear to be in crisis.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the death and considers it a suicide.

Berensen was facing two child pornography charges. Online county documents show he was booked into the jail on May 1.

Deaths at Utah’s county jails in Utah had drawn scrutiny in recent years. A record 25 people died in the jails statewide in 2016.

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