The Tennessee deputy and father of five who was found dead in a submerged car alongside a suspect had just celebrated making his first arrest before the fatal crash.
Robert John “RJ” Leonard, Jr., 35, a rookie with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, sent his wife a text that said “arrest” Wednesday after nabbing his first suspect since joining the force in December, District Attorney Russell Johnson said.
Leonard’s wife sent a response, but the deputy’s phone did not appear to receive the message, Johnson explained.
A search was launched that night after further attempts to contact Leonard also failed, and crews found the deputy’s car upside down in the Tennessee River on Thursday.
Authorities found Leonard’s remains as well as those of Tabitha Smith, whom he was said to have arrested before the car plunged into the river.