The man accused of running down and killing a Prince George's County police officer on Friday was choked to death in his cell over the weekend, according to preliminary autopsy results.

The Maryland Medical Examiner ruled Monday that Ronnie White died from asphyxiation and strangulation.

 Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson said, "If we have vigilante justice, our society will fall apart."

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Officials say seven guards had access to White at the time of his death, as well as an unspecified number of supervisors. Authorities are also investigating whether anyone from the outside had access to the prisoner.

Maryland State Police and the FBI (web) are investigating the death. Johnson said that he believes the death was "unrelated to any act by the Prince George's County Police Department.

Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey promised a thorough investigation into what happened. 

"I understand that there are going to be differing views out there no matter what the decision is, but we just have to move forward and hand it the way we normally do and let the evidence and the law make the final determination," said Ivey.

White was found unconscious in his cell about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Jail authorities initially said there were no signs of foul play.

"Certainly there was no cloth, rope or material tied around his neck. There was no cuts on his wrist," said Col. Gregory Harris of the Prince George's County Department of Corrections.

In fact, White appeared fine earlier Sunday, corrections officials said.

"At 10:15 this morning, correctional officers found him sitting on his bed-- alert. But when officers returned 15 minutes later to serve him his lunch, he was unresponsive," Col. Harris said.

White was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

As a high security inmate, White was kept in solitary confinement and checked on every half hour. Authorities initially did not suspect foul play. 

"He was of sound mind [and] showed no signs of suicide or depression," Col. Harris said. Jail authorities initially said they were not ruling out suicide. White had to undergo a physical and mental evaluation when he was admitted into the jail. 

The president of the Fraternal Order of Police says the officers who handled White behaved properly.

"I think our officers conducted themselves very professionally considering how high emotions were from minute one, when all this started," said FOP president Vince Canales.

White was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Corporal Richard Findley, who was struck and killed by a pickup truck Friday. Police believe that White was the driver of the truck. Findley, a 39-year-old father of two, was a 10-year veteran officer who also served two decades as a volunteer firefighter in Beltsville.

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Memorial services for Corporal Findley are planned for Wednesday.