WATERBURY, Vermont — The Vermont Department of Public Safety is mourning the loss of Forensic Laboratory employee Josephine “JoBeth” Buckley, who was killed in a car crash last week in Bolton.

Buckley, known as “JB” to friends and co-workers, was employed as a forensic chemist specializing in DNA and serology at the Waterbury lab, which provides services to 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, 34, of Essex died Wednesday morning, Nov. 22, after her car went off the road in Bolton as she drove to work and was struck by another vehicle.

She grew up in Michigan before attending 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, where she earned a Master of Forensic Science degree in 2021. Upon graduation she accepted a job at the Vermont Forensic Laboratory and moved to the Green Mountain State.

“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, JB 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. Outside of Vermont, her “happy place” was New Zealand, where she had worked as a wilderness first responder while a program assistant for Earlham College’s study abroad program in 2015. JB was fiercely independent and a loving and loyal friend.

The family is being assisted by Gifford Funeral Home in Richmond, Vermont. Information on services will follow at a future date.