Matthew Laurin Found Dead In Jail Cell:

The Springfield man who pleaded guilty two days ago to two counts of first-degree murder for the stabbing deaths of an elderly Carthage couple was found dead in his jail cell about 12:47 p.m. today.

Sheriff Archie Dunn says Matthew Laurin, 20, met with a counselor today and was asked if he was suicidal or planning to harm himself. Laurin told her, "No, I'm just angry," according to Dunn.

Before Laurin returned to his jail cell at 10:48 a.m. he dropped a letter/s in the mail. When jailers went to his cell to give him lunch they found him hanging from a bed sheet wrapped around an air conditioning grate. Dunn says he's not sure if the mail had been picked up or if investigators have the correspondence.

Dunn will hold a news conference at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Laurin's death. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow in Springfield.

Laurin, who was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the October 2008 murders of Robert and Ellen Sheldon, was due to be transferred to the Department of Corrections within a week.

Sheriff Dunn said he wasn't sure if Darren Winans, the alleged ringleader in the plan to kill the Sheldon's, knew of Laurin's death. "He's in prison for a probation violation right now, but you know how word travels. It wouldn't surprise me."

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Laurin's death leaves no witness, or victims, for the states case against Winans.

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Darren Winans (mug shot JCSO)

Winans capital murder trial was scheduled to begin in February of 2011, however, it has been canceled. A motion hearing is now set for August 23rd. It was at a motion hearing that Laurin pleaded guilty.

Several messages left for Jasper County Prosecutor Dean Dankelson have not been returned.

Joplin Man Sentenced To Five Years For Stabbing Fiancee With Sword:

Timohty L. Bennett (mug shot JCSO)

A man from Joplin has been sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing his fiancee in the neck with a sword in 2007.

Timothy L. Bennett, 49, stabbed Kimberly D. Gilbert, 38, in the middle of the neck during a fight at the couples Joplin apartment on Nov. 22, 2007. Gilbert told authorities that as Bennett stabbed her, he told her he was going to kill her.

Bennett was originally charged with first-degree domestic assault, but entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. As part of the plea agreement, Jasper County Prosecutor Dean Dankleson amended the charge to second-degree assault and asked that Bennett not be sentenced to more than seven years.

Jasper County Prosecutor Drops Charge Against Salazar To Protect Evidence:

Eddie Salazar Sr.

Jasper County prosecutor Dean Dankleson has dropped one of the charges against Eddie Salazar Sr.

In a move to protect evidence for Salazar's preliminary hearing and trial, Dankleson dropped the misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report in connection to the murder of Eddie Salazar Jr.

On February 4th Salazar Sr. told cops that two masked men broke into his Carthage home, beat him up and kidnapped baby Eddie.

After a two-day statewide Amber Alert baby Eddie was found dead in the Spring River. Autopsy reports say the baby died from blunt force trauma to the head.

On Friday February 5th Dankleson charged Salazar Sr. with filing a false police report. Eleven days later Salazar was charged with second-degree murder for the murder of his baby boy.