PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Putnam County Sheriff “Gator” DeLoach announced on Monday morning the death of former Sheriff Jeff Hardy.
A post on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Facebook page said Hardy died over the weekend.
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They say Hardy started working as a deputy in Putnam County in 1991 after working at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and serving in the U.S. Navy.
He became sheriff in 2009, the year 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings disappeared from her home in Satsuma.
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Her case garnered national attention and remains one of Florida’s unsolved AMBER Alerts.
Hardy also worked to fix the county’s failing jail after two inmates escaped, PCSO said.
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Hardy served as sheriff until 2016, the year the new county jail opened.
DeLoach said he had the privilege of working with Hardy throughout his career, saying in part:
“Sheriff Hardy’s commitment to our community and fellow law enforcement officers will continue to make an impact for decades to come. He will be missed.”
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