NORTH HERO, Vt. — The husband of a Vermont sheriff who committed suicide last month has been sworn in as the new sheriff.
Sgt. Ray Allen was sworn in as Grand Isle County sheriff Wednesday, succeeding his late wife, Sheriff Connie Allen. She died July 7 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a bittersweet ceremony at the county courthouse in North Hero, the 46-year-old Allen took the oath from a judge and vowed to keep up the good work done by his late wife. She had held the job since 2002.
Ray Allen is a 20-year veteran of the sheriff's department. The couple had been married for 26 years.
Gov. Peter Shumlin appointed Allen to fill the spot. He attended the ceremony along with relatives, friends and law enforcement officers statewide.