On December 1, a lifelong friend of mine stepped into a role that holds a deeply personal significance. Hody Viars was named Chief Deputy of the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office—a position my father held for 14 years, and the very reason my family put down roots in Wytheville.
Some of my earliest memories are of Hody and me running through the halls of the sheriff’s office as children. We both remember our kindergarten field trip there; we strutted around like we practically owned the place because we knew every officer by name. Back then, the Sheriff’s Office felt like family. Even today, though much larger than it was in the 1990s, that spirit somehow remains intact.
Hody says he always knew he wanted to work for the Sheriff’s Office, despite his father—former Chief Deputy Sam Viars—encouraging him to consider another path.
“I spent my first semester in college attempting some sort of sports medicine or physical therapy curriculum,” he told me during an interview at my home on December 10, just nine days into his new job. “I knew right away it wasn’t for me, and I immediately called my dad and told him I was changing my major to criminal justice.”
After graduating from Radford University, Hody applied for one job and one job only: a patrol deputy position with the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office. He got it in 2014.
Four years later, he made the difficult decision to join the Virginia State Police after completing the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Academy—an academy led by my uncle, Doug Cooley.
“I needed to join the State Police for opportunities for advancement,” he recalled. “I was lucky enough to be assigned to Wythe, Smyth, and Bland counties so I didn’t have to move.”
During his time with the State Police, Hody became known for his work with the Honor Guard, performing line-of-duty funeral duties for fallen officers. He was also trained to operate the distracted driving simulator, and in 2022 he was promoted to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations in the Wytheville Field Office. While there, he expanded into bomb and arson specialization.
“I went to Emmitsburg, Maryland, for two weeks for the National Fire Academy’s arson school,” he said. “Then I spent three weeks in Roanoke at the 1033 training with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. The bomb side was more strenuous—schools in Alabama, Henrico, all while working murder investigations and other felonies.”
Then, the call came from Sheriff Anthony Cline, asking him to serve as his Chief Deputy—a moment Hody describes as the culmination of everything he had worked toward.
“My family has more than 90 years of combined service to the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “I knew this was something I definitely wanted to do.”
Hody is also a devoted father. He and his wife, Miranda, live in Fort Chiswell with their daughter, Cecilia, who will turn two in March.
During our interview, Hody shared something that struck me deeply.
“Your dad was my dad’s hero,” he said.
As Chief Deputy, my father hired Sam Viars and Hody’s two uncles—Jack and Doug Hudson. Those three men shaped Hody’s lifelong dream of a career in law enforcement.
“At every one of my family’s get-togethers at my grandmother’s house, I would see at least one of those guys in uniform,” he told me. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Hody and my father also shared the same birthday, October 25. Dad passed away the day after his birthday this year. In the midst of mourning him fiercely, hearing that my childhood friend had been named Chief Deputy brought me a warmth I desperately needed. I felt—without hesitation—that Dad had a hand in this from above. Hody didn’t disagree.
“I always felt close to Herb,” he said. “My dad said Herb made his career and always spoke very highly of him.”
Sheriff Cline also expressed unwavering confidence in his new Chief Deputy.
“I selected him because we have the same temperament and the same vision for the department,” Sheriff Cline wrote to me in a text message. “We have the same ideals, and we both want what’s best for Wythe County.”
Hody believes technology will be a driving force in their leadership. Sheriff Cline recently secured grant funding for new crime scene scanning technology that provides a virtual 360-degree tour—similar to an online real estate walk-through.
“This allows us to put a jury inside the crime scene as we found it,” Hody explained.
In many ways, this mirrors my father’s approach. He had a remarkable talent for securing grant funding to bring cutting-edge tools to local law enforcement—without burdening taxpayers.
Hody shares that philosophy wholeheartedly.
“Protecting our children through our school resource officer program is essential,” he told me. “We want to give the county the best product we can offer and keep people safe at the least cost to them.”
There is no doubt in my mind that Chief Deputy Hody Viars will go down as a law enforcement leader admired not only for his professionalism, but for the quality of his character. I know I certainly look up to him—and always have.
