Jerry Dillinger hangs himself in prison cell

CORALVILLE — Jerry Dillinger, who was sentenced in Union County last month to life in prison after murdering Loretta Dillinger and Michael Robinson, killed himself in his Oakdale prison cell Wednesday evening at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville.

Greg Ort, deputy warden at the classification center, said Dillinger was found dead in his prison cell hanging from a bed sheet that was tied to his bed post around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was then transferred to a University of Iowa hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:25 a.m. today.

“There is no foul play suspected,” Ort said. “An autopsy will now be done, but results won’t be available for a while.”

Dillinger’s death comes about two months after the body of his ex-sister-in-law Loretta Lynn Dillinger was discovered by hunters in a rural Union County stock pond. Court documents show Dillinger confronted and killed Loretta and Michael Robinson by gunshot wound Sept. 22.

Robinson’s skeletal remains were unearthed by law enforcement at Dillinger’s residence in Thayer on Dec. 12. Robinson shared children with Shelly Hartley, Dillinger's niece.

Ort said Dillinger was one of about 900 prisoners currently being held at Oakdale prison. Ort said there was a suicide in Oakdale facility last July when the prisoner also hung himself with a bed sheet, but historically suicides are rare at the facility.

The Creston News Advertiser will have more information on this story as it becomes available.