MOSCOW, ID. — The man who was thrust into the national spotlight when four University of Idaho students were murdered is retiring from the Moscow Police Department.
54 year-old James Fry spent the last eight years of his 30-year career as Chief of the Moscow Police Department. But he's not leaving law enforcement. He's just taking a different approach.
"I will be putting my name in to run for sheriff," Fry said.
In November of 2022, Fry was at the helm of the department when the eyes of the nation focused on Moscow, Idaho, wanting answers in the murders of four U of I students.
"I think I can take a lot of what I've learned here and carry it over to another great agency in our local area, and I think I just bring a different perspective," Fry said.
In the midst of working through a tragedy in his own community, he and his department were met with criticism. For weeks, information was limited and some worried they weren't able to handle the investigation until an arrest was made less than two months later.
"Even though I couldn't say a whole lot, we still needed to get out as much information as we could," Fry said. "So that was a challenge...it changed the way we had to do some stuff."
That experience made him realize that anything can happen, even in Moscow.
"Prepare as much as you can and prepare for something at a national level, not just something at a local level," Fry said.
After everything he and his department faced, he still has a passion for improving his community.
"I want to...continue to hold us at a high standard," Fry said. "I've said often that too much is given, much is required. And in law enforcement, I believe that we're given a lot, but a lot is required of us."
Fry's last day with the police department will be April 30, 2024.
4 News Now has reached out to the current sheriff Richard Skiles. As of news time, we have not heard back from Skiles.
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