Polk Schools mourns loss of 8th grader
Published 11:02 am Tuesday, January 6, 2009
When deputies arrived, Aldridge said, a neighbor, who is a registered nurse, was performing CPR on Biggerstaff. The boy was rushed to St. Luke&squo;s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Det. Aldridge and Det. Michael Capps went to St. Luke&squo;s to meet with family and the doctor and sent the body to Winston-Salem for an autopsy. Aldridge says the body has returned in preparation for burial and the sheriff&squo;s office is now awaiting preliminary autopsy results from the medical examiner&squo;s office.
When those results will be received is unknown, but it could be anywhere from one week to a few weeks.
The sheriff&squo;s office has processed the scene and says no evidence of foul play was found.
Polk County Schools Supt. Bill Miller said thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
Counselors are available to any students who need to talk about the loss, Miller said, and teachers handled the news in classrooms upon students&39; return yesterday.
Biggerstaff had just begun attending Polk County Schools this school year, Miller said.
Funeral services for Biggerstaff were held yesterday at Petty Funeral Home in Landrum.
Biggerstaff is survived by his father, Anthony Biggerstaff of Inman, S.C., his mother, Sherri Elder Lee of Green Creek, two sisters and grandparents.