JESSUP, MD - Prison officials are investigating the apparent homicide of a 34-year-old inmate who was found dead in his cell at the Maryland House of Corrections in Jessup on Friday.

The inmate, who was serving a 10-year-sentence for fraud and larceny, was alone in a cell in a segregated tier of the institution when an officer found him about 10:35 p.m., said Major Priscilla Doggett, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Although officers could see no wounds, later examination of the inmate's body revealed two "puncture wounds," Doggett said. Authorities withheld the inmate's identity, citing their ongoing homicide investigation, Doggett said.