LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A man who killed an Omaha man with a hatchet in 1981 has died at a hospital, state prison officials said.
Cary Rehbein, 76, died Wednesday, apparently of natural causes while he was being treated for a medical condition, said Laura Strimple, a spokeswoman with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.
He was serving a life prison sentence at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution for the death of Carl Fisher on Sept. 5, 1981. Prosecutors said Rehbein broke into Fisher's apartment intending to rob him but killed him by striking him with a hatchet, The Lincoln Journal Star reported.
Rehbein, who later changed his name to Yourgos Diamantopolos, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison on June 13, 1983.
A grand jury will investigate the death, which is routine procedure when an inmate dies in custody.