Heartbreak in Caroline County

Filed under: tragedy — Badrose at 9:12 pm on September 26, 2007

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After having lived in Hanover and Goochland Counties for fifteen years, I came to feel a special kinship with the folks of Caroline County. That beautiful county must be feeling a hole in its enormous heart tonight.

From Tom at Caroline County, VA JUSTICE:

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office
P.O. Box 39 118 Courthouse Lane
Bowling Green, VA 22427
Phone (804)-633-1120 Fax (804)-633-1124
E-Mail: sheriff@carolinesheriff.org
Sheriff A. A. “Tony” Lippa, Jr.

For Immediate Release – September 26, 2007

CAROLINE COUNTY ANNOUNCES DEATH OF DEPUTY L. W. REEL
The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office is deeply saddened to announce the death of Deputy Leonard W. Reel, age 23, at approximately 12:30 p.m. The tragic set of events which culminated in Deputy Reel’s untimely death began on September 24, 2007. On that date at approximately 4:40 p.m., Reel’s girlfriend, Elizabeth C. “Liz” Ryan, age 23, was killed in a single vehicle crash on Nelson Hill Road. Deputy Reel was one of the first emergency responders to arrive on the scene of this crash.
This morning, a member of Reel’s family received a communication from Reel indicating he was despondent over the loss of Liz and thinking of ending his own life. The family member drove to Reel’s residence and discovered Reel. This was communicated to the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office by the family member. Sheriff Lippa, Major Hall, Captain Moser and other several members of the sheriff’s staff responded. All indications from the preliminary investigation are that Reel took his own life and died instantly.
Reel is survived by his parents, sister, and brother. While memorial services are incomplete at present, Deputy Reel has requested that he be buried with Liz and the families are working together to comply with that request.
Deputy Reel had been with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office since July 11, 2005. Funeral arrangements will be released by this office and the family once they have been completed.

Tom: Please keep us posted and we’ll keep these families and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

Events like this truly put things into perspective for me. How about you?

4 Comments

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Comment by S.D.F

September 27, 2007 @ 11:54 am

My Husband just became a Deputy with Caroline County a few months ago. This department is very family oriented and close knit. This was a shock to everyone at the department and we were all saddened by the loss.

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Comment by Kilo

September 27, 2007 @ 12:00 pm

“Events like this truly put things into perspective for me. How about you?”

Indeed.

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Comment by kristie karnes

September 28, 2007 @ 10:45 am

He was a very great individual, a great friend, and he will truly be missed. Rest in peace.

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Comment by Badrose

September 28, 2007 @ 11:33 am

Kristie & S.D.F. - You know, tragedies happen everywhere, everyday. I could fill a blog with nothing BUT tragedies. Short of VA Tech, I haven’t written much about tragedy - I try to stay “upbeat” and positive because life can be sad enough without reading tragic stories about people you don’t know written by a blogger that you don’t know. I say that to say this:

Something about Liz and Deputy Reel really reached inside and gave my heart a hard squeeze. I found a sort of hope through them. The idea that this brave young deputy, who had put his life on the line for others, would rather be dead than to face life without his true love. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that a love like that truly exists, other than on a movie screen.

I hope that these young lovers are buried together, as wished and that their spirit of deep, unabiding love will continue to live on in those that knew them and even in some of us, like me, that didn’t. And that their souls are together, dancing and celebrating a love that didn’t get to “play out” on this earth but will last for an eternity somewhere else.

Something else: Small towns are the greatest in times of grief. Let the arms that are reaching out to you now embrace you and squeeze them back with all your might. Feel the strength of your community and yourself. That strength is the power that fuels us and keeps us going. That strength is love.

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