King County deputy, first to identify Ted Bundy, retires

Burien's police chief recognized King County Sgt. Henry McLauchlan for his 46 years of service on Wednesday.

Sergeant McLauchlan joined the sheriff's office in 1979 and spent 25 years working in Burien. King County Sheriff Patti Cole Tindall presented him with a certificate of retirement, along with a cake, thanking him for his service.

McLauchlan says he was going to retire a few years ago, but got the opportunity to supervise the Crime Reduction Unit, teaming up with mental health professionals.

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"I told myself when I got to the point that it was difficult to get up in the morning, it's now time, and there is a piece of me that you go, 'I've got to be able to take care of my people,' so if something happens, you got to be able to support them. I can still do that, but I am not sure how long I'd be laid up in the hospital if I did," McLauchlan said.

The ceremony was held in the same room where the Green River Task Force was set up.

McLauchlan worked on the Gary Ridgway case, and was the first person to identify Ted Bundy while working security at the University of Puget Sound.

He ran the license plate and got all of Bundy's information for investigators.

McLauchlan now plans to turn off his phone and sleep, as getting up at 3:30 a.m. every day has been a little too much.

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