Hillsborough County deputy killed in reported murder-suicide in St. Augustine identified

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has identified a second deputy killed in what is believed to be a murder-suicide that happened in St. Augustine on Saturday.

Deputy Abigail Bieber, 30, had worked with HCSO since February 2018, according to a Facebook post from the Sheriff’s Office.

The bodies of Bieber and HCSO Detective Daniel Leyden were discovered on Saturday night at a vacation rental home located on the 5300 block of A1A South in St. Augustine.

While details are still preliminary, authorities learned that the deputies involved, who were in a romantic relationship, were heard arguing in a bedroom by fellow deputies on vacation with them just prior to the sound of gunshots. Both deputies were discovered to have fatal gunshot wounds and Leyden’s wound appeared to be self-inflicted.

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“Deputy Abigail Bieber was an outstanding law enforcement officer, and by all accounts, an even better person who left a positive impact on every member of her squad and the countless members of our community who she encountered while on patrol. This tragedy has left our Sheriff’s Office family grief-stricken. There is a void within our hearts that can never be filled, but I hope that Deputy Bieber’s legacy will be the way she lived her life, as a selfless servant,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.

Bieber patrolled the northwest area of Hillsborough County, which is located in Tampa Bay. She wanted to someday work with the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Special Victims Section.

“Co-workers also described Deputy Bieber as a young woman with a positive attitude who never shied away from tough investigations. She was known for being kind, genuine, caring, and empathetic with the demeanor of a veteran law enforcement officer,” the Sheriff’s Office said in its post.

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