Inmate Death Under Investigation In Sarasota County: Sheriff

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — A 40-year-old inmate died in custody Sunday night, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Corrections deputies found Thomas Biggs unresponsive in his cell just before 8:30 p.m. They began administering CPR, but were unsuccessful, SCSO said.

Based on a preliminary investigation, detectives believe Biggs took his own life, the sheriff’s office said.

The Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the incident and will determine an official cause of death.

He was housed in a cell by himself and there’s no reason to suspect foul play, SCSO said.

Biggs, a Sarasota resident, was in custody from a November 2020 for fraud. He was a convicted felon with an extensive history of arrests in Sarasota County, the sheriff’s office said. His next of kin has been notified of his death.