     Authorities in South Dakota say a Pine Ridge Reservation man being held in the Pennington County Jail on a murder charge from last June on the reservation died on Sunday.
      59-year old Eugene High Hawk of Wounded Knee was found unresponsive in the jail about noon on Sunday.
Jail medical and corrections personnel performed CPR and High Hawk was taken to Monument Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s office says an autopsy was performed Monday with the preliminary results indicating High Hawk died of natural causes, final autopsy results are pending.
High Hawk, also known as Acorn, had pled Not Guilty to single counts of 1st-degree murder, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and assault with a dangerous weapon in the beating death near Wounded Knee of 18-year old Dominick Jealous of Him.
High Hawk’s son, 25-year old Spencer High Hawk, is also charged with 1st-degree murder in Jealous Of Him’s death.
Court documents show investigators believe the attack on Jealous of Him was premeditated, but don’t give a motive.