OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The jail chief in Osceola County has resigned following a secondary review of an inmate’s death.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office conducted the review into the 2024 death of Terri Whitehead but found no criminal charges were warranted.
Whitehead died on Dec. 31, 2024, while in custody at the Osceola County jail.
Although a medical examiner ruled the death was due to natural causes, a new administration at the sheriff’s office launched a review of the case in December 2025 due to concerns regarding how the death was handled.
Whitehead’s interactions with law enforcement began on Nov. 1, 2024, when Osceola County dispatchers received a 17-minute 911 call from his wife requesting assistance.
Deputies arrived at the home and took Whitehead into custody, and he was seen being placed into a patrol vehicle with his medication.
Whitehead bonded out of jail following the first incident but was re-arrested on Nov. 19, 2024.
The second arrest was for a violation of a no-contact order that required him to stay away from his wife.
He remained in the county jail from that date until his death on New Year’s Eve.
According to a sheriff’s office report, Whitehead had been moved into a new cell shortly before his death.
Corrections officers stated the move occurred because Whitehead was in trouble for pretending to fall.
Officers also reported that Whitehead had been threatening to kill himself.
While in the jail, he complained of a cough and anxiety, but records indicate he was not provided with any medication.
A corrections officer reported seeing Whitehead rolling around on the floor of a cell just before his death.
Approximately 15 minutes later, he was observed throwing up in his bed and subsequently became unresponsive.
A new chief has been hired to lead the Osceola County jail. The new administration declined to comment on the matter, citing ongoing litigation.
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