Sheriff’s Dept. Major Delbert Dudding retiring by the end of February

Major Delbert Dudding of the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department is retiring by the end of February after 39 and a half years of service. Dudding has been employed by the department since he was 20 years old. He recently turned 60.

“I began in the jail when Sheriff Norman Sprinkle hired me in 1979. I was just a brown haired boy,” said Dudding. Within a year Dudding was promoted to chief jailer. He became a road deputy in 1982 and a detective and shift Supervisor in 1992.

After eight years of investigations he was promoted to Chief Deputy in 2000.

“I have done everything but be an administrative assistant and sheriff,” he said with a laugh. “When the cook called in at the jail, I cooked. When a dispatcher called in sick, I worked Dispatch.”

The case he recalls the most is the Lane case where a young girl was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave. He said, “You have a tendency in law enforcement it seems to recall the bad things more. That was very bad.” Sad events have happened throughout his years in the department. But, much good has been accomplished as well.

He notes that some of the best police work in his career has been Botetourt’s participation in multi- county and multi-jurisdictional cases, often with Botetourt being the lead on the case that brought about resolution in crimes committed over a wide area.

Dudding said, “Sheriff Sprinkle has cared about the investigations and supervised them. We have always been on top of the progress of investigations. Our persistence has paid off.”

Sprinkle said about Dudding, “He has been an excellent Chief Deputy. I hate to see him go and would have liked for him to stay on. For 39 years he has been good for Botetourt County.”

Dudding said of retirement, “I have not charted my course. I look forward just to some time off. It is a new beginning and I am looking forward to exploring the next step in my life.”

He continued, “We are very fortunate to live in Botetourt County. We do not have things happen here like larger places. The people here are good citizens. I grew up here. It is always where I have called home.”

Godspeed, Major Dudding, may your retirement be peaceful and your future be long and bright.

Story and photo by Cathy Benson