Court records say troubling calls drew a family member to Goodyear before the discovery of 89-year-old Jane Biggs’ death.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Weeks of concerning calls and messages from 92-year-old John “Jack” Biggs Jr. prompted his adult son to travel from out of state to check on him, authorities said. When the son reached the Arizona home on Aug. 24, police say he found Biggs in a recliner and Jane Biggs, 89, dead in the couple’s bedroom.

The visit placed the son at the center of a homicide investigation that authorities say began with an argument the previous night. John Biggs, a retired Maryland State Police trooper, was arrested after receiving medical treatment and was accused of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Police and court records say he admitted stabbing Jane Biggs after accusing her of taking investment documents and money. Those allegations remain accusations in a criminal case, and the financial account described by investigators has been disputed by members of Jane Biggs’ family.

According to court documents described by local news organizations, the couple’s son had grown alarmed by statements his father made during calls and messages before the killing. He told investigators that his father appeared paranoid and delusional and had been showing signs that concerned him about possible dementia. Rather than relying on telephone conversations from a distance, the son traveled to Arizona. Authorities said he entered the Goodyear residence at about 1:30 p.m. Aug. 24 and found his father seated in the living area. Biggs then allegedly told him that he had stabbed his wife and warned him against entering the bedroom.

The son went to the bedroom anyway, according to the police account. Jane Biggs was found on the bed and was pronounced dead after officers arrived. Authorities said she had suffered several stab wounds and injuries to her hands and arms that investigators described as defensive. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner later classified her death as a homicide. Police did not describe evidence suggesting anyone else had participated in the attack. Investigators instead focused on John Biggs’ account of an argument inside the home and statements he allegedly made both to his son and to detectives.

Investigators said Biggs told them he confronted his wife on the night of Aug. 23 because he believed investment paperwork was missing and suspected she had taken money from him. Jane Biggs denied taking the documents or funds, according to the account attributed to her husband. Detectives wrote that Biggs believed he had lost everything and became enraged. Police said he used a kitchen knife during the confrontation and continued the attack as Jane Biggs tried to defend herself. The criminal allegations describe what investigators say happened; they have not been established by a conviction.

What happened afterward added another layer to the son’s discovery. Authorities said John Biggs swallowed a large quantity of pills in what investigators described as an apparent attempt to take his own life. He then went to a recliner and slept there until his son arrived the following day, according to the affidavit. Police initially took Biggs to a hospital rather than directly to jail. Goodyear officials later said he was booked into the Maricopa County jail after he was medically cleared. The delay meant his first widely reported court appearance came several days after Jane Biggs was found.

At that hearing, Biggs’ age, physical condition and reported cognitive changes became part of the argument over whether he should remain jailed. He appeared in a wheelchair, and proceedings were delayed while court personnel worked with his hearing aids so he could follow what was being said. Defense attorney Zach Murphy told the court that Biggs had no criminal history and had spent about 25 years as a Maryland state trooper. Murphy also pointed to what he characterized as a recent change in Biggs’ behavior, saying there appeared to be odd conduct that had not existed before.

Prosecutors emphasized a different set of facts. They pointed to the seriousness of the allegations and argued that Biggs could remain a danger despite his age and prior record. The prosecutor described the injuries investigators found and asked for substantial restrictions. A judge set bond at $1 million. FOX 10 Phoenix reported that conditions would include house arrest, electronic monitoring and no contact with family members if Biggs were able to secure his release. His reported cognitive condition had not been established in the reviewed material through a publicly reported medical diagnosis or court competency ruling.

Outside the criminal proceedings, people who knew Jane Biggs described a life that was difficult to reconcile with the scene found inside her home. Friends and neighbors told Arizona’s Family that she had been active in the Pebble Creek community, including work with Kare Bears, a neighbors-helping-neighbors organization. She helped welcome new residents and assisted people who needed rides to appointments. Family members described her as religious and community-minded. Those accounts shifted attention from the allegations against her husband to the woman whose death had brought police, prosecutors and reporters to the neighborhood.

Jane Biggs’ relatives also pushed back on the suggestion that a dispute over investment money fully explained what happened. Her son, Michael Cook, told Arizona’s Family that the couple’s finances did not work in the way suggested by John Biggs’ reported account to investigators. Cook questioned the stated reason for the confrontation and said family members might never know why Jane was killed. That distinction is important because investigators can report what a suspect told them without independently establishing that the suspect’s belief was accurate. No reviewed source established that Jane Biggs had taken money or investment documents from her husband.

The case also left the family dealing with an unexpected problem after Jane Biggs’ death. Relatives said they wanted her cremated and her remains returned to Maryland but initially encountered questions over who had legal authority to approve the cremation. Family members said John Biggs was listed ahead of others in medical decision-making paperwork even though he was jailed in connection with her death. They were told another route could become available after a waiting period through the medical examiner or coroner. The issue added a practical dispute to a case already involving a homicide investigation and questions about the defendant’s health.

Public reporting reviewed through Oct. 19 did not establish a final resolution of the criminal case or confirm a later trial outcome. Biggs is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and reports have differed on the precise charging description at different stages, with several local accounts identifying second-degree murder while another report cited court records describing a first-degree murder charge. What remains consistent across the accounts is that Jane Biggs was found dead in the Goodyear home after her stepson traveled there because he had become worried about his father’s behavior.

Author note: Last updated October 19, 2026.