San Jacinto County Sheriff James Lewis Walters died around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

He served his first day as sheriff on Jan. 1, 2009 and was recently reelected by the citizens of San Jacinto County to a second term.

"Sheriff Walters was dedicated to serving the citizens of this great county, and in his final wishes concerning the county [had] asked his chief deputy and friend of more than 20 years, Robert Long, to continue the work that he started in moving the sheriff's department forward," said the sheriff's secretary Rejeana Mizell in the emailed announcement of Walters' death.