Department of Public Safety mourns forensic lab employee killed in car crash

November 29, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 

Vermont Department of Public Safety employee Josephine "JoBeth" Buckley. Family photo courtesy DPS

The driver killed in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 89 in Bolton last week was a Vermont Department of Public Safety employee on her way to work at the Forensic Laboratory in Waterbury. 

The department is mourning the loss of employee Josephine “JoBeth” Buckley, 34, of Essex, who died Wednesday, Nov. 22, after her car went off the road in Bolton and it was struck by another vehicle.

The department issued a news release Tuesday describing Buckley and her work as a chemist in the state crime lab.

Known as “JB” to friends and co-workers, Buckley was employed as a forensic chemist specializing in DNA and serology at the Waterbury facility, which serves the entirety of Vermont’s criminal justice system.

“We are all devastated by the tragic death of JB, one of our valued employees who dedicated her time and expertise to serving the people of Vermont through her work at the Forensic Lab,” Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison said. “When I spoke to her parents, they told me how much she loved her job and her Vermont family, and how the ‘highlight of her life’ was coming to Vermont and working at the lab. On behalf of everyone at DPS, I extend our deepest condolences to her parents, extended family, loved ones and friends, and to her co-workers during this awful time.”

Buckley grew up in Michigan and attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, for her undergraduate and graduate education, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2011 and a master’s in secondary education and teaching in 2014. After working in various positions at Earlham, she attended Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 2021 with a Master of Forensic Science degree. She then moved to Vermont to work at the state lab. 

“JB was a much beloved co-worker and adored by all who knew her,” said Dr. Trisha Conti, director of the Vermont Forensic Laboratory. “She quickly became an invaluable asset after joining the lab in 2021. JB loved her job and had a passion for forensics. She respected the impact her work could have and seized every opportunity to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Her loss is a devastation, but to have worked with her at all was a gift we will always cherish.”

An athlete and soccer player in high school and college, Buckley consistently received recognition for being the “heart” of all her teams. Her family recalled that she approached life with passion and love, and she was a devoted champion of social justice. She relished spending time with her parents exploring national parks. 

The department account shared that Buckley’s “happy place” outside of Vermont was New Zealand, where she worked as a wilderness first responder with Earlham College’s study abroad program in 2015. They also said she was fiercely independent and a loving and loyal friend.

The family is being assisted by Gifford Funeral Home in Richmond. Information on services will be made available at a future date.