Pinellas County, FL — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the deaths of two inmates at the Pinellas County Jail, occurring six days apart.
On July 6, 2025, 68-year-old Peter Hayward was transported from the jail to a hospital at approximately 10:21 a.m. for medical reasons. He was pronounced deceased at 11:37 a.m. Hayward was booked into the jail on May 14, 2025, by the St. Petersburg Police Department on ten counts of possession of child pornography. Detectives report no evidence of physical altercations or injuries during Hayward’s incarceration. His next of kin has been notified, and the investigation is ongoing.
In a separate incident, 38-year-old Derrick Diestelmeier was found unresponsive in a jail shower on June 30, 2025, at approximately 8:24 a.m., with a portion of his bed sheet wrapped around his neck and secured to metal piping, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Detention staff and medical personnel performed life-saving measures, but Diestelmeier was pronounced deceased.
He was booked into the jail on June 27, 2025, by the St. Petersburg Police Department on fugitive warrants from Oklahoma for failure to appear on charges of receiving stolen property and domestic assault, as well as local charges for possession of drug paraphernalia and providing a false name to law enforcement. His next of kin has been notified, and the investigation continues.
