Convicted Killer of Johnston Woman Dies in Prison

A man who was convicted of the rape and murder of a Johnston woman in 1994 has killed himself in prison, the Des Moines Register reports.

Jerry Lee Proctor, 42, died Friday at the Anamosa State Penitentiary after hanging himself, officials said. An autopsy is pending, KCCI.com reports.

Howlett was reported missing in November 1994. Days later, she was found dead at a Des Moines ballpark, KCCI said. Police said Howlett was beaten and sexually abused, her throat slashed and her body partially burned.

Corrections officials said an ambulance took Proctor to a hospital Friday, where he was pronounced dead at 5:15 pm.

He was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder after being convicted in February 1997, the TV station said.