EPHRATA, Wash. — Grant County deputies announced that the investigation into the death of a Grant County Jail inmate is ongoing, with two separate agencies involved in the inquiry.
According to a press release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Joe Kriete issued the following statement:
“I first want to offer my condolences to Richard Lambert’s family. Richard’s death must have come as a shock to those who knew him, and I hope that his loved ones can find peace.
I also want to share that we continue to provide peer support to the Corrections Deputies and Support Staff on duty when Richard passed away. An in-custody death is not something our Corrections Deputies and Support Staff often experience.
The well-being and safety of people in the care of the Grant County Jail is our priority. When someone dies in our custody, we must find all the facts about why it happened. To that end, I have asked two outside agencies to conduct different tasks to ensure the facts are found and the investigations are unbiased.
First, the Central Basin Investigative Team, aka CBIT, will conduct the inquiry into Richard Lambert’s death. Once CBIT’s work is finished, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office will conduct an administrative investigation focused on our agency policies.”
Kriete emphasized that no employees of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office will participate in the investigation. He added that once the investigation is complete, the findings will be shared with the public.
. Lambert was found unresponsive in a dormitory bed at the Grant County Jail around 6:15 a.m. on Dec. 31. Medics arrived on the scene and declared him dead.
