Who was behind murder of sheriff, others in 1974?

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 24, 2023

Regarding a recent letter of support for current Sheriff Adam Forntey from a retired deputy and his discussions with current deputies.

First, what current sheriff’s office employee would publicly confess to a stranger (a former deputy at that), that they dislike their boss?

Secondly, I agree with the letter writer’s assessment that Sheriff Don Jennings “was good.” I just wished he would have mentioned that Sheriff Jennings was assassinated along with his wife and mother-in-law in a motorhome while on vacation in rural Mexico in January 1974.

The assassinations have never been solved after 50 years. The undersheriff at the time reported he believed the assassinations were committed by the Mexican Federales (an equivalent of the FBI). Herald Executive Editor Phil O’Connor a few years ago reported the assassinations may have been connected to an investigation of abuse at the county jail and of wrongdoing within another police department.

Morgan Davis

Snohomish