Jacob Biddix
Jacob Biddix, 26, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Buncombe County Detention Facility on July 25, 2020, and jail staff took him to Mission Hospital, where he was released from custody. He died four days later, on July 29. His mother Cassandra and sister Devon remember him as thoughtful, caring, and someone who loved animals and life, and they have said that detention officers waited several minutes before entering the cell and that the jail should have acted sooner. The district attorney found no evidence of criminal negligence after a State Bureau of Investigation review, and the sheriff's office said no policy was violated; the sheriff's office does not treat the death as an in-custody death, and autopsy results are pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office and District Attorney Todd Williams describe a medical emergency with autopsy results pending, while his family says detention officers waited several minutes before entering his cell and that the jail should have acted sooner.
Reported by: Buncombe County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams; his family.