Chief who oversaw Kohberger investigation hired to head this Eastern WA agency
West Richland’s newly hired police chief oversaw the highly public investigation into the grisly murders of four University of Idaho students and the arrest of suspect of Bryan Kohberger.
James Fry, 56, took over the 17 officer West Richland department on Monday after finishing a 30-year career with Moscow that included eight years as chief.
He oversaw the Moscow Police Department when it received national attention during the investigation of the stabbing deaths of the Idaho students in their apartment in November 2022.
He is coming into a Tri-Cities department that’s had some turmoil in the past year after the union voted no confidence in then Chief Thomas Grego and in Mayor Brent Gerry.
City officials have maintained Grego did nothing wrong, but he was accused of harassment, retaliation and abuse that led to multiple no confidence votes by the West Richland Police Officers Association.
Grego announced his retirement in February and left soon after. Former Wenatchee Police Chief Steve Crown took over as the interim police chief in March.
West Richland has been largely quiet about the details of the police chief search and never released the names of finalist candidates.
On Monday, city officials sent a release announcing that Fry was hired and started work.
“His experience, credentials, and proven leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow as a community and invest in the safety and well-being of our residents,” Gerry said in a news release announcing the hiring.
The position pays $156,000 to $210,000 a year. City officials did not say what his exact salary will be.
Fry’s career
Fry began working at the Moscow Police Department in the college town of about 26,000 in 1993 as a reserve officer. He stepped into a permanent role as an officer in 1995.
Since then he moved up through the ranks, serving as the department’s detective unit lieutenant, the captain of the campus division, before becoming chief of the 35-officer department.
Fry announced his retirement in February 2024 and ran for sheriff but lost to the incumbent in November.
“Chief Fry has served our community for nearly 29 years and throughout it all he has served as a shining example of professional community policing that is reflected throughout all aspects of the Moscow Police Department,” then Mayor Art Bettge said in a release about Fry’s retirement.
His department was thrust into the national spotlight 2 1/2 years ago when Mason Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were found murdered inside a Moscow home.
The case drew nationwide attention as investigators worked to track down the suspected killer, Bryan Kohberger, in Pennsylvania. Kohberger was a graduate student at Washington State University in the neighboring town of Pullman.
He is scheduled to go to trial in August but may change his plea this week, according to the Idaho Statesman.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM.