TAMPA, Fla. — A procession spanning the state of Florida will be taking place on Wednesday for a Hillsborough County deputy killed in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend.
Abigail Bieber, 30, was killed by Hillsborough County Detective Daniel Leyden on Saturday in St. Augustine before he killed himself.
Bieber and Leyden, according to investigators, were dating.
Bieber had been with HCSO since February of 2018. They said she was a passionate advocate for child victims of sexual battery and child abuse, and someday aspired to be a detective.
"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," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "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."
HCSO said a motorcade will escort Bieber home from St. Augustine to Clearwater to honor her.
"The motorcade will take Interstate 75 to Interstate 275 from St. Johns County to Hillsborough County, exiting at Bearss Avenue. The motorcade will then travel westbound on N Dale Mabry Highway to Ehrlich Road, turning onto Gunn Highway to pass the HCSO District III Office located at 7202 Gunn Highway, where Deputy Bieber was assigned. The motorcade will travel from Gunn Highway to Clearwater, where the undisclosed funeral home is located."
"Deputy Bieber is more than deserving of this honor, and we hope that by allowing both our Sheriff's Office family and the community at large to pay their respects, it will provide some small sense of comfort in this tragedy," said Sheriff Chronister. "She will forever be remembered as a dedicated public servant."
The public is invited to honor Bieber by viewing the procession as it passes the District III Office at approximately 12:15 p.m. HCSO said those who plan on attending are asked to park and view the motorcade from the Macy's parking lot at the Citrus Park Mall.
Funeral arrangements for Deputy Bieber have not yet been finalized, and her family is asking for privacy during this time.
