R
ankin County, Miss. – Jerry Dennis, the man charged with sexually assaulting a real‑estate agent in July, died Monday, Sheriff Bryan Bailey confirmed. Bailey said Dennis passed away after spending an extended period in a medical facility while still in the custody of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been notified to investigate the death.

    Dennis was held at the Rankin County Jail on a $950,000 bond, facing charges of two counts of sexual battery, kidnapping and armed robbery. In July, while a real‑estate agent was preparing for an open‑house event in Pearl, Dennis allegedly entered posing as a customer. He reportedly brandished a handgun, forced the agent to undress at gunpoint, sexually assaulted her, seized her car keys and cell phone, and then fled. He told the victim not to report the incident before leaving.

    Authorities later apprehended Dennis at a residence in Rankin County.