Two GCSO deputies on admin leave following death of inmate
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 1 month AGO
Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete released a statement Monday in regards to the continuing investigation into the death of an inmate at the Grant County Jail.
FILE PHOTO
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | January 13, 2025 4:05 PM
EPHRATA – Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete issued a statement Monday regarding the status of the investigation into the death of Grant County Jail inmate Richard Lambert while he was in custody Dec. 31, 2024.
“Two corrections deputies were placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 2, pending the results of the death investigation by the Central Basin Investigative Team, also known as CBIT, and the administrative policy investigation to be conducted by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office,” Kriete said.
The corrections officers being placed on administrative leave is not a punishment but rather is standard procedure while an investigation is ongoing, he said. Being placed on administrative leave is not an indicator of wrongdoing.
A former inmate who had been at the jail when Lambert was found deceased in his bunk said he was concerned that multiple officers and one of the medical staff at the facility had not paid more attention to Lambert’s condition.
According to the inmate, who asked not to be identified because he was concerned about being targeted for stepping forward, Lambert had been unwell and hadn’t eaten in at least two days and had complained of stomach pain.
“Lambert looked really beat up. He had a black eye and just looked in bad shape overall,” the inmate said.
Lambert had been booked into the Grant County Jail on Dec. 27 of last year on suspicion of second-degree criminal trespassing and obstructing law enforcement in connection with a Moses Lake Police Department investigation, according to a GCSO statement.
Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison’s office took custody of Lambert’s remains and an autopsy was planned.
GCSO is unable to respond to some specific incidents while the investigation is ongoing in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Feb. 10 initial election results
EPHRATA — Voters were asked to approve or reject educational programs and operations levy requests from a number of Grant and Adams county school districts in Tuesday’s special election. Voters in the Ephrata School District and East Adams Rural Healthcare decided the fate of specific proposals. Unofficial results released Tuesday night are listed below with additional votes coming in via mail over the next few days. Mailed-in ballots must have been postmarked by Feb. 10, 2026 to be counted.
COLUMN: It’s amazing what you can learn ...
Four years ago, almost to the day, my wife and I closed on the first home either of us have owned, a stunningly Pepto-pink house in Ephrata with what we thought of at the time as “character.” It turns out, that character is really, in many ways, a lot of work. Work I hadn’t done much of since helping my dad out when I was a kid a few decades ago. Still though, all of the work I had to relearn or learn – thank goodness for the folks at Ace, Lowe’s and experts on YouTube – has been incredibly rewarding.
Take a wander, see a wonder
MOSES LAKE — Living in Central Washington has a lot of perks, and one of those is the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife.