WALLACE – The Shoshone County Commissioners formally accepted the resignation of former Sheriff Holly Lindsey on Friday morning during a special meeting at the Shoshone County Courthouse. 

Commissioners Jeff Zimmerman and Melissa Cowles attended the meeting, along with Prosecuting Attorney Ben Allen and Interim Sheriff Lance Stutzke. 

Lindsey’s resignation was announced last week via a post on the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. The post also stated that Lindsey was under investigation for an alleged hit-and-run incident that occurred the previous day in Osburn. 

Before the board approved the resignation letter, Cowles noted that Lindsey’s last name was misspelled in the document, raising concerns about the validity of any actions taken in response to it. 

With the resignation accepted, a 15-day window has opened for the Shoshone County Democratic Committee (SCDC) to submit a list of three qualified candidates to the commissioners. The commissioners then have 15 days to appoint one of those candidates. If no appointment is made within 30 days, the decision returns to the SCDC for another 15 days. Should no decision be reached within 45 days, Idaho Gov. Brad Little would have five days to make the appointment. 

Stutzke will serve as interim sheriff during this period and has expressed interest in being considered for the appointment, despite having a different political affiliation. 

During the public comment portion of the meeting, questions arose regarding the term length of the appointee. 

Zimmerman said he believed the appointee would serve until at least January 2027, with the position appearing on the ballot during the 2026 general election. 

That may not be the case. 

When Lindsey was appointed in 2022 to replace the late Sheriff Mike Gunderson, she served the remainder of his term and then won her first election in 2024. This has led to some confusion about the current situation. 

Allen told the commissioners he would seek legal guidance from the state based on similar cases in Shoshone County and elsewhere. 

“What I would propose doing is, once the BOCC makes the determination of who they’re going to select as a replacement, I would like, as the county’s legal counsel, to seek clarification from the election office,” Allen said. “Personally, in my time in office, I’ve seen different counties in different positions receive a different answer from our secretary of state to that question. My rule of thumb has always been to ask them, and whatever they tell you in that instance is what you should be governed by.” 

The commissioners were also asked if they had any comments on Lindsey’s resignation. 

“I think we’re like a lot of other people,” Cowles said. “It was just a shock. It’s unfortunate circumstances for sure.” 

Allen was directed by the commissioners to contact Lindsey for verbal confirmation that the resignation letter was indeed from her, despite the misspelling of her last name. His findings will be presented at a future meeting. 

After the meeting, SCSO Capt. Seth Green spoke on how challenging the field of law enforcement is, and how it gets amplified when a person goes from simply being in law enforcement to being an elected official.  

“Most people do not know the strain that this career can have on a person, and I thank all who are willing to hold positions of public office,” Green said. “I have always said that one of the main jobs of our deputies is to walk with all members of our community through their toughest times, including those who break the law. We are asking the citizens of our county to walk with us in our hard times as well. We are going to continue to provide the best service to the public and continue to improve to be a better version of ourselves.”