A Montgomery County man who was charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend a year ago has been found dead in his jail cell on the same morning that his trial was set to begin. Authorities say 33-year-old Tyler Tessier was found dead early Thursday morning in his jail cell where he had started to prepare for court. Officials say he was woken up at 4:00 a.m., took a shower, and returned to his cell to dress. They said he was found hanging from a bed sheet from the top bunk of

his bed around 4:55 a.m. shortly after he ate breakfast. In a statement, authorities said life-saving measure were made but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead just after 5:30 a.m. Tessier was accused of killing 31-year-old Laura Wallen, a Howard County teacher who was pregnant with his child. Wallen’s family reported her missing to authorities on September 4, 2017. Nearly a week later, her body was found in a shallow grave at a secluded field in Damascus. Wallen’s autopsy revealed that she was shot in the back of the head.