Bruce Jamerson, who served as Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates for 20 years, has died. His remains were found early Monday, and an examination revealed that it was a suicide.
Jamerson, widely respected and admired among state legislators and staffers, was first employed by the House of Delegates in 1974, and helped coordinate the Capitol Restoration and Extension Project from 2004-2007.
“On behalf of the Virginia House of Delegates, I express our tremendous grief and sorrow at the death of not only a distinguished and respected professional but our dear friend Bruce Jamerson,” Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said in a statement.
The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner was suicide, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia.
State police were contacted late Sunday to search for a missing person in Powhatan County. Jamerson’s abandoned vehicle had been located at Watkins Landing along the James River, according to the Virginia State Police.
State police and the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office immediately began searching the area; at about 2:30 a.m. Monday, a state police bloodhound located Jamerson’s remains along a path near the river, police said.
Gov. Bob McDonnell called Jamerson a “State Capitol institution.”
“When I first came to Richmond in 1992, he helped a young delegate from Virginia Beach learn his way around,” said McDonnell. “18 years later, he did the same for our incoming gubernatorial administration. Bruce was a resource who everyone knew they could count on. He could explain every matter of protocol, tell you exactly who was best to assist with any project, and was always able to make clear the reasoning behind the Virginia State Capitol’s many traditions. I knew, and so did my staff, that if you had a question you could just call Bruce. He would always have the right answer.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce’s wife Elizabeth, and his daughter Ainslee, during this difficult time,” said McDonnell. “We will all miss Bruce Jamerson. The commonwealth has lost a devoted son.”
