Slain corrections officer Jayme Biendl has been named the state Department of Corrections' Correctional Officer of the Year.
Biendl, who was killed in January at the Monroe Correctional Complex, is among the winners of the DOC's annual agency awards. A statewide correctional officer award had not been given in recent years, but this year the DOC chose to honor Biendl's memory, according to a news release.
"This has undoubtedly been a difficult year but despite the challenges we have faced staff have done an extraordinary job keeping our facilities and communities safe," DOC Secretary Eldon Vail said in the news release. "Staff are our greatest asset and they put their lives on the line daily to ensure communities in Washington are safe. We are extremely grateful for their commitment and the contributions of our volunteers who have given their time to aid us in our effort to improve public safety."
Prison inmate Byron Scherf has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with Biendl's slaying. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Scherf, 52, who has spent much of the past 30 years in prison, was serving a life sentence for his third rape conviction when Biendl, 34, was slain at the Monroe Correctional Complex. Scherf told Monroe police that he waited for everyone to leave the prison chapel before approaching Biendl from behind and wrapping a cord around her neck, according to a probable-cause statement released by prosecutors. After the slaying, Scherf sat down in the chapel foyer and waited for prison staff to find him, according to the statement.
To read the DOC's news release and see a list of other award winners, click here.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...icer_hono.html
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