Larry Dever, the four-term Republican sheriff of Cochise County, has died in a one-vehicle crash near the northern Arizona town of Williams. He was 60.

Dever’s death was confirmed early Wednesday by the sheriff’s department. The department declined to release details of the crash or his death.

The sheriff died just four days after his 86-year-old mother, Annie Mae Dever, died of cancer.

Dever was first elected to his post as the head of the county’s law enforcement agency in 1996, and was last re-elected in 2008. He joined the agency as a deputy in 1976, according to the sheriff’s department website.

He entered the national spotlight as one of Arizona’s four border sheriffs who asked to legally defend the state’s controversial anti-illegal immigration law, known as SB1070, in federal court. Cochise County, in the state’s southeastern corner, shares an 83.5-mile border with Mexico and is one of the state’s hot spots for illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

He said at the time that the federal government was failing to secure the border and praised the law, which includes provisions that require police to question a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws and if officers suspect the person is in the county illegally.

“If the federal government had been doing and would continue to do its job in securing the border here in southern Arizona, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, they failed to do that, so Arizona stepped up and said, `We want to be partners. Here’s a role we think we can play,'” Dever told The Associated Press earlier this year.

It was Dever’s office that investigated the 2010 death of a prominent rancher whom the sheriff said was likely killed by an illegal immigrant. The killing spurred Arizona’s political leadership, including Gov. Jan Brewer and its U.S. senators, to renew pressure on the Obama administration to deploy National Guard troops along the southern border.

Dever also joined other Arizona sheriffs in slamming the Obama administration over a botched federal operation that lost track of weapons sold to suspect straw purchasers for Mexican drug gangs.

Dever was born and grew up in the town of St. David. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; six sons; and 11 grandchildren.

(More stories below photo)

Also:

There will be a WalkDown in Honor of the late Sheriff Larry Dever Sunday in Tombstone @ high noon. This is a Tombstone tradition to honor those who have passed.

Sheriff Dever is brought home/KVOA

[EDITORIAL] Arizona loses a good guy/The Arizona Republic

Sheriff Larry Dever’s death stuns Cochise County [UPDATE 2]/The Arizona Republic

Cochise County Sheriff Dever dies in car crash [UPDATE]/The Arizona Republic

Cochise deputies taking sheriff’s death hard | [VIDEO]/The Arizona Republic

Larry Dever, Cochise County sheriff, dies at 60/AP

Sheriff Larry Dever of Cochise County Dies in One-Car Wreck on Dirt Road…/Phoenix New Times

Cochise County Sheriff Dever killed in northern Arizona crash/The Arizona Republic

Remembering Larry Dever

By Joanna Allhands

The Arizona Republic

‘We will remember’

Condolences for the Cochise County sheriff have been pouring in all morning on Twitter. A sampling:

My condolences go out to the family of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever. His death is a big loss to the law enforcement community.

Joe Arpaio

We will remember Larry Dever as the rugged sheriff, the consummate lawman. Thoughts and prayers are w/his family during this difficult time.

Jeff Flake

Our condolences to the family & friends of Sheriff Larry Dever and to the fellow law enforcement officers he served with….

phoenix police

Our prayers go out to the Dever family. Sheriff Dever was an exceptional public servant and honorable man. May he rest in peace.

Andy_Tobin

My stmt w/ Senator Kyl on the sudden death of our friend & great Arizonan, Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever

John McCain

So sorry to hear of death of sheriff dever. Even when I had tough questions, he always had a smile.

Alia Rau

Quartzsite Police Department offers its sincere condolences to the family of Cochise Co. Sheriff Larry Dever, who died in a car accident.

Quartzsite P.D.

It is with great sadness we mourn the loss of Cochise Co. Sheriff Larry Dever. He was a champion of public safety & border security. RIP

Frank Antenori

Sad news via @Beckett8 – Cochise County AZ sheriff Larry Dever died last night in a car crash

Michelle Malkin

Dever was the real deal, not a showboater

Mark Krikorian

This is so sad, one of my favorite Sheriffs has died, please keep his family in your prayers

Katie Pavlich

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was a great guy. He will be missed.

Daniel Scarpinato

I am so sad to learn of the passing of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever. My thoughts and prayers are with his family on this very sad day.

Trey Evan Williams

@KurtSchlichter Meanwhile, a great patriot and conservative fighter died last night.

Mental Aikido

RIP Larry Dever. People didn’t always agree with him, but he tried to do the right thing. #Cochise #Arizona

Jess

Cochise Co. Sheriff Larry Dever died in car crash Tuesday night.@JoeDanaReports with latest. bit.ly/S4VR61 STORY: bit.ly/S4VOr8

Cochise County sheriff dies in rollover crash near Williams [VIDEO]/KTVK

Cochise sheriff Dever dies in 1-car crash near Williams/KPHO

Cochise County sheriff dies in crash near Williams [VIDEO]/Fox 10

Sheriff Babeu on SB 1070, death of Sheriff Dever [VIDEO]/Fox 10

Fellow sheriffs react to Dever’s death [VIDEO]/ABC15

Cochise County Sheriff dies in crash [VIDEO]/ABC15

Statement from Ariz. Democratic Party Chairman Bill Roe

“We have just learned of the tragic death of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever. Arizona has lost a good public servant and a good man. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, children and grandchildren.”

Statement by Governor Jan Brewer 

Grieving the Loss of Sheriff Dever

“Like all Arizonans, I was shocked to learn this morning that Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever had been killed hours earlier in a one-car accident while traveling in northern Arizona. True to form for this husband, father of six and grandfather, he was reportedly en route to meet several members of his family for a Fall hunting and camping trip in the Arizona high country.

“I had known Sheriff Dever for well over a decade, stretching back to my days with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. I’ll remember him in his cowboy hat – soft-spoken and unfailingly polite, but firm in his beliefs and steady in his service to the law. In the truest sense, Sheriff Dever was a Western lawman and country gentleman.

“Arizona has lost a leader of more than three decades in our law enforcement community. My thoughts and prayers today – and those of Arizonans, I am sure – are with his wife, Nancy, their children, friends and colleagues as they cope with this terrible loss.

“In honor of Sheriff Larry Albert Dever and his 34 years of dedicated service to the State of Arizona, and for the peace of mind he has provided the citizens of Cochise County, I have ordered that flags at all State buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset today, September 19, 2012, and again on his day of interment, for which services are pending.”

Family and friends mourn the loss of Sheriff Larry Dever/KVOA