Troy Zeigler

CUSTODIAL DEATH REPORT Agency Information ORIGINAL CDR Number: 24-1345-CJ Version Type: VERSION Report Date: 6/12/2024 9:59 AM Status: Submitted Agency/Facility Information Brazoria County 3602 County Road Agency Name: Agency Address: Sheriff's Office 45 Agency City: Angleton Agency State: TX Agency Zip: 77515 Director Information Director Salutation: Sheriff Director First Name: Leonard Director Middle Name: Director Last Name: Stallman Reporter Name: Clinton Lobpries Reporter Email: [email protected] Decedent Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 1 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- Identity of Deceased First Name: Troy Middle Name: Last Name: Zeigler Suffix: Date of Birth: 3/3/1970 Sex: Male Race: Anglo or White Age At Time Of Death: 54 Date/Time of Custody (arrest, incarceration) (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): Date/Time of Custody or 4/18/2024 1:02 AM Incident: Date/Time of Death (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): Death Date and Time: 4/18/2024 1:02 AM Manner / Cause of Death Has a medical examiner or coroner conducted an evaluation to determine a cause of death? Medical Examiner/Coroner No, evaluation not Evaluation?: planned What was the manner of death? (select only one) Manner of Death: Natural Custodial Death Report :: Page 2 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- Medical Cause of Death: Medical Cause of Death: Lung Cancer Had the decedent been receiving treatment for the medical condition that caused the death after admission to your jail's jurisdiction? Medical Treatment: Yes If death was an accident, homicide or suicide, who caused the death? Who caused the death?: Not applicable If a weapon caused the death, what type of weapon caused the death? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply) Type of weapon that caused Not Applicable death?: Was the cause of death the result of a pre-existing medical condition or did the decedent develop the condition after admission? Pre existing medical Pre-existing medical condition?: condition If death was an accident, homicide or suicide, what was the means of death? Not applicable, cause of death was Means of Death: illness/natural cause Location / Custody Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 3 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- Where did the event causing the death occur? 4200 Twelve Oaks Street Address: City: Houston Plc. County: Harris Zip: 77077 What location category best describes where the event causing the death occurred? Location Category: Other, specify Other Location Category: Advanced Diagnostic Hospital of River Oaks What type of custody/facility was the Decedent in at the time of death: Type of Custody: County Jail Specific type of custody/facility: Specific Type of Custody/Facility: Hospital/Infirmary What was the time and date of the deceased's entry into the law enforcement facility where the death occurred (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM): 11/28/2023 11:27 Entry Date Time: AM Where did the death occur? Death Location: Medical facility General Information Custodial Death Report :: Page 4 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- Did any other law enforcement agencies respond to calls for service related to this incident? Other Agencies Respond?: Yes What were the most serious offense(s) with which the deceased was (or would have been) charged with at the time of death? Offense 1: Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Offense 2: Offense 3: Were the Charges:: Filed What were the types of charges or reason for contact? (Hold CTRL to select all that apply) Type of Offense: Other, specify Type of Offense, Other: Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent display or use a weapon? Decedent display/use of No weapons: At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Attempt to Injure Others?: No At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Appear intoxicated (alcohol or No Make suicidal statements?: No drugs): Exhibit any mental health Custodial Death Report :: Page 5 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- problems?: No Exhibit any medical problems?: No At any time during the incident and/or entry into the law enforcement facility, did the decedent: Barricade self or initiate Resist being handcuffed or No No standoff?: arrested?: Physically attempt/assault Gain possession of officer's No No officer(s): weapon: Verbally threaten other(s) Escape or attempt to No No including law: escape/flee custody: Attempt gain possession No officer's weapon: Was the deceased under restraint in the time leading up to the death or the events causing the death? Under Restraint: No Summary of Incident Summary of How the Death Occurred: (max. 30,000 characters) Summary: From Inv. Lopez's report: Investigation: On 04/18/2024 at 01:15 hrs I Brazoria County Sheriff`s Office Investigator M. Lopez was serving as the as an on-call Investigator and was notified by BCSO dispatch of an inmate who had passed away at a hospital in Houston TX Harris County while in custody. Dispatch advised that they had been notified by BCSO CID Capt. Pate of the inmates death who was being treated at Advanced Diagnostic Hospital River Oaks located at 4200 Twelve Oaks Plc, Houston TX 77077 and was in ICU Rm 505. Upon arrival to the hospital I had gone to ICU Rm 505 and made contact with BCSO Deputy Jailer F. McGinn who was seated in chair in the room while the inmate was still laying the hospital bed. I then observed the inmate who was later identified as inmate Zeigler, Troy Hunter SO#194755 laying on a hospital bed wearing a hospital gown and partially covered with a white sheet, motionless and displaying no signs of life. Deputy F. McGinn stated that he had been assigned to watch over inmate T Zeigler while serving on duty as a Deputy Jailer, and had limited information on inmate T Zeigler who had passed away earlier in the evening at approximately 0045 hrs and pronounced deceased by on the on duty doctor. Deputy F. McGinn stated that inmate T Zeigler was at this location since 04/11/2024 and was being treated by hospital staff for lung cancer. I later learned that inmate T Zeigler may have had other health issues as well, such as possibly being positive for Hep. B, HIV and may have had Hep. C. I had further learned from the House Supervisor Nurse Charlotte that Dr Hussein is the doctor who pronounced inmate T Zeigler deceased and would be signing the death certificate and listing the cause of death as being lung cancer. While speaking the House Supervisor Charlotte she stated that the hospital did not have an in house morgue that I would need to attempt to contact the next of kin and see where they wanted the body to go. I attempted to locate a next of kin for inmate T Zeigler and was not having luck at the time as he did not have Custodial Death Report :: Page 6 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- an emergency contact listed on his jail intake form, which was provided to me by Deputy F. McGinn. I had checked further records and discovered an address at 9414 Turquoise Meadow Ln Rosharon TX 77583 Brazoria County, at which time I contacted BCSO Dispatch to have a unit go by the location and attempt to make contact with family to have them contact me. A short time later BCSO Deputy D. Coronado and Deputy B. Stevens contacted me and stated that the address they had gone did not know who inmate T. Zeigler was and did not reside there. At this time after not being able to find a next of kin I had asked the hospital to follow there procedures as a death in there facility, and because Dr. Hussein would be signing the death certificate their procedure called for them to make contact with a local funeral home. At approximately 0400 hrs House Supervisor Charlotte stated that she had made contact with Carnes Funeral Home and at approximately 0545hrs Carnes Funeral Home arrived and took inmate T Zeigler to 1102 Indiana Street South Houston TX 77587 (713-943-2500). Upon leaving the hospital I had located another address that was listed on the booking form from when T Zeigler was initially booked into BCSO jail which was listed as 11905 Princess Garden Way Houston TX 77047 but did not match the address on his drivers license. As I arrived to the listed address I was able to make contact with a subject who came outside and was standing on a balcony of the two story home directly above the front door. Upon making verbal contact with the subject from the residence I identified myself to the subject who then identified himself as Nathan Harper and did not wish to come to the front door to speak to me, so we talked from our locations. While speaking with Nathan I asked if he knew who Troy Zeigler was and he stated that he knew who Troy Zeigler was but did not know him personally. Nathan further stated that all he knew of T Zeigler is that he had squatted at the residence for an unknown amount of time and he moved in the home T Zeigler left the residence and did not currently reside at this address as he claimed that he was never a resident at the address. I had asked Nathan if he knew of any family members that resided at the address or in the area but Nathan did not know of any. I left a card on the front door and asked Nathan that if heard from a relative,family member or anyone that knew T Zeigler to have them contact me in reference to this case. As I arrived back to the Sheriff`s Office I had gone to the jail and made contact with Jail Sargeant A. Rhodes and learned that inmate T Zeigler was housed in a medical cell on A Row (A1N), where I had gone in the cell at approximately 0740 to collect inmate T Zeigler`s personal items, out of the cell. While inside the cell I observed a gray jail issued blanket on top a jail issued mat, and a oxygen machine on the north end of the bed. The cell appeared to me as normal with very little personal affects, I did however locate some letters that appeared to be legal mail. The papers were collected and the cell was resecured as I walked to the property room. I then collected T Zeigler`s belongings that he had when he was booked into our jail, which I observed to be his personal clothing along with a bag that contained his valuables. After retrieving T Zeigler`s personal items Texas Ranger A. Arizmendi arrived in my office and wished to go back and observe the cell where inmate T Zeigler was housed BCSO ID Investigator J.Minshew also came us with and took photos of the cell as well. After Ranger Arizmendi looked over the cell we came back to my office where we began going through inmate T Zeigler`s personal belongings in an attempt to locate a next of kin. I was unable to locate any next of kin information in his property so I searched his jail call history and located a phone number that he called while in custody (260 312 2368). After locating the phone number I called the number and a female answered the phone who identified herself as Kirsten Lee Holtzman (dob) 04/09/1996 and also identified herself as the daughter of inmate T Zeigler. While speaking with Kirsten she stated that she was currently living in Fort Wayne Indiana, so with her living out of the state I explained to her over the phone that her dad T Zeigler had passed away earlier in the morning. Kirsten stated that she did know her dad was ill and had stage four cancer. I explained to Kirsten that T Zeigler had passed while in custody and explained where her dad had been taken to and she advised that she would contact her aunt to see what the next steps would be. A short time later I recieved a call from Jody Pittenger (260 409 6485) who identified herself as the sister of inmate T Zeigler, and advised that she recieved a call from her niece Kirsten and stated that she would be the only one capable of making funeral arrangements, so I explained to her where her brother currently was and she stated that she would contact the funeral home in order to make the arrangements with them. I had also explained to Jody that T Zeigler`s property was being stored here at the Sheriff`s Office until she could get time to come and get it as she was making plans to come to the Houston area. I had also later recieved digital documents that contained jail records of inmate T Zeigler which were transfered to ID Investigator J Minshew along with an evidence submission form. Interview: Deputy McGinn stated that he had been assigned to watch over inmate T Zeigler who had been at this facility since 04/11/2024 and was diagnosed with lung cancer. Deputy McGinn stated that inmate T Zeigler was pronounced deceased by doctor on duty. Interview(verbal) due to being out of state: Kirsten Holtzman verbally stated that she is the daughter of T Zeigler and knew that he had been sick and had cancer. She further stated that she would pass along the information to her aunt which is the sister of T Zeigler to make further arrangements they both lived in Fort Wayne Indiana. Interview: Jody Pittenger stated that she is the sister of T Zeigler and had knowledge that her brother had been sick and had cancer. She further stated that she is the only family member with the financial means to make arrangements for her brother. Custodial Death Report :: Page 7 of 8 --- PAGE BREAK --- Custodial Death Report :: Page 8 of 8