Very sad news. Richard was one of the best Ident officers and in his many years in the section, he mentored a good number of us. He was someone who went about his work in a very quiet, methodical and unassuming manner - but was always ready to stop and engage in a discussion on forensic related topics and his input was professionally sound and thought-provoking. He came into Ident in about 1985 after a stint in Crime Division on the warrant detail and stayed until he retired, so his years of experience were extremely valued. He witnessed so much change in forensic technology - everything from the migration of the WPD fingerprint collection from the Henry Fingerprint Classification manual system to the first and second AFIS systems as well as the forensic use of DNA evidence. When some of us leave the Ident unit, the hole we leave behind is not that hard to fill. But when a guy like Richard Hebert left, the hole needing filling was both deep and wide. He was always quick to laugh at a joke or funny story. He was, in short, a great guy to know and to work with.

My sincere condolences to his family on their sudden and heartbreaking loss.