Remembering a former Madison County sheriff, and a ‘tragic accident’ that made national headlines
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Editor’s note: This is the twelfth in a series of stories about former lawmen in eastern Idaho.
SUGAR CITY — There are many things Don Griggs doesn’t miss about working as a jail administrator for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
The 75-year-old Sugar City man retired in 2009 from a 25-year law enforcement career, and is now living a quiet life. For years, he’s lived with the notion that law enforcement is a thankless job. But in the last several years, he’s seen an outpouring of gratitude from former colleagues.
One woman he worked with in the jail many years ago recently graduated from POST to become a patrol deputy. Earlier this month, she stopped by Grigg’s house to thank him for his leadership.
“She told me that I was the reason she was still in law enforcement and that I’d been a great example to her. That made me feel pretty good,” Griggs tells EastIdahoNews.com.
He’s had many similar interactions lately, and it’s those relationships that have made it worthwhile for him.
His association with Greg Moffat is one relationship that’s been particularly rewarding. Moffat served two terms as sheriff from 1993-2001. Though he passed away in 2016, Griggs has fond memories of growing up with him in Teton Valley. They both started working in law enforcement in the 1980s, and he shares how it all began.
“He and I were in construction,” Griggs explains. “During the winter in this area, you get pretty limited on work. We wanted some extra money, and there were two old guys who were reserve deputies at Madison County Sheriff’s Office. They invited us to come to work as reserve deputies.”
Moffat’s dad, Willis, had worked as a magistrate judge for the county and Griggs had an acquaintance who served as Teton County Sheriff. After looking into it and weighing their options, Moffatt and Griggs accepted the invitation.
Around 1985, the construction industry in Sugar City came to a halt when the potato crop failed. Moffat became a full-time patrol deputy. Griggs got a job with the Juvenile Corrections Department in St. Anthony before getting hired as a jailer several years later.
In 1992, Griggs says county commissioners were unhappy with then Sheriff Lionel Koon and asked Moffat if he wanted to run.
“Koon’s chief deputy retired and he was having a tough time looking for (a replacement). If he would’ve put Moffat in that position, Lionel would’ve stayed as sheriff. But he chose somebody else and that made the office personnel upset,” says Griggs.
Moffat ended up defeating Koon in the election and became the county’s eighth sheriff.
‘A tragic accident’ gains national attention
Griggs doesn’t recall any unusual or extreme cases Moffat was involved in, but he cites one case at the beginning of Moffat’s second term that made national headlines.
“There was a fire out in Archer,” Griggs recalls. “Five or six children were burned to death.”
The Associated Press reports it happened around 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 27, 1997. About 10 kids were having a slumber party in a double-wide trailer owned by Todd Morris. It’s not clear what caused the blaze, but it started in the master bedroom and no adults were there at the time.
Twelve-year-old Eric Johnson was sleeping in the living room when the fire began, according to the AP. He broke a window and helped three younger children climb out.
The four children went next door to tell a neighbor what was going on. The neighbor called 911, and the house was totally engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
Griggs remembers multiple state officials and fire specialists being part of the investigation to determine what caused it.
“There was some speculation that it might’ve been arson,” Griggs says. “If it were proven to be an arson case, it would’ve been the largest homicide case in the state of Idaho at that time.”
News reports eventually ruled out arson, calling it “a tragic accident.” There is no mention of criminal charges in the AP stories.
The victims were between the age of 5 and 10. Morris was the father of two of the kids who died. Several others belonged to his girlfriend, Cindy Johnson.
A mother who lost a daughter in the blaze told the AP Eric was responsible for helping her son escape.
“I thank God he got them out because I couldn’t stand losing two,” the mother said. “It’s bad enough losing one, and she was my only daughter.”
“It’s just awful to think someone could lose that many members of their family at one time,” another neighbor said.
Griggs says Moffat’s proudest achievement during his time in office was getting a bond approved for renovating the jail. The Madison County Courthouse where the jail is located was originally built in 1920, the county’s website reports. An expansion on the north side of the courthouse on Main Street was built in “record time,” according to Griggs. The old jail is attached to the west side of the courthouse and was converted into the Madison County Women’s Correctional Facility.
Upon completion, the Idaho Sheriffs Association recognized the new jail for being the first in the state to become compliant within the first year of opening.
Moffat’s legacy
Moffat retired in 2001 after Roy Klingler defeated him in the November election. Moffat was 67 when he passed away on Oct. 2, 2016.
Griggs says Moffat was in an accident about two years before his death that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
“He fell off a deck while helping sheet rock a house,” Griggs explains. “He stepped off that deck backwards and landed on a saw horse, breaking his neck and his back.”
He regained some mobility in his arms and hands following a surgery, Griggs says, but remained paralyzed from the chest down.
Today, Moffat’s daughter, Angie, serves as the Madison County treasurer.
As Griggs reflects on Moffat’s legacy to Madison County, Griggs cites his friend’s ability to work with others. Moffat provided assistance to other counties during search and rescue operations, and had a reputation for being easy to work with.
At the time Moffat left office, Griggs says the county was ahead on its jail bond payments.
“I was on the ground floor meeting with the commissioners and the sheriff all the time,” says Griggs. “That’s one thing I saw as jail administrator. He (Moffat) had set it up and had done a great job and the function of the sheriff’s office was going really well.”
Now 14 years into retirement, Griggs misses his old friend. Though he’s grateful for a slower pace of life, he says that if he could go back in time and bring back his old crew, he’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
“If I could get my old crew and my old sheriff, we’d do a good job,” he says through tears.
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