Chad Chronister is a Hillsborough County Sheriff. He became widely known after Netflix's release of docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness in March 2020.

Chad Chronister has a bachelor’s in Criminal justice and a master’s in Criminology from Saint Leo University, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy's 260th Session.^[12]

Sheriff Chad Chronister has served with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for the past 28 years. He became the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County on September 30, 2017, upon his appointment by Governor Rick Scott and was elected by the citizens of Hillsborough County on November 6, 2018. He is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking and Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee.^[12]

On February 19, 2020, Chronister officially filed for reelection with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office.

“I am humbled by the amazing support this community shows the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and it is an honor to stand before you seeking reelection,” Chronister wrote in an announcement on Facebook. He faces reelection against former Tampa Police officer Gary Pruitt. Chronister bested Pruitt, by nearly 10 points in 2018 and has since shone as Hillsborough County’s top cop.^[13]

Chronister already has an outpouring of support.

Boyz II Men, a popular R&B band from the 90s, performed at a campaign fundraiser in 2019. And in a show of bipartisan support for the Republican Sheriff, Democratic State Attorney Andrew Warren has already endorsed him.^[13]

Under Chronister, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has revamped its efforts to train deputies handling mental health-related incidents and has made mandatory what was formerly a voluntary 40-hour training for crisis intervention.^[13]

Chronister also implemented its own version of St. Pete’s “Park, Walk, Talk” program in which deputies ditch their cars for an hour a day to patrol communities by foot.

The idea is to establish a positive presence in neighborhoods that restores trust in law enforcement that might have been eroded as more and more police brutality cases make it into the mainstream media.^[13]

A native of York, Pennsylvania, Sheriff Chronister is married to Nicole DeBartolo and has two sons, Asher and Zack, and two dogs, Cali and Oreo. He enjoys spending time with his family the most.^[12]

On March 30, 2020, Chronister took to Twitter to share a poster that says, “Only YOU can help solve the Jack ‘Don’ Lewis cold case.”

Jack Donald Lewis was last seen on August 18, 1997. He was declared legally dead five years later, but his body was never recovered. No one has been implicated in his death and there are no leads about his whereabouts. ^[1]

“I figured it was time to use the popularity of the show to see if anyone wanted to come forward with new leads,” Chronister tweeted.

Sheriff Chronister is hoping Tiger King fans can help solve the case.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the Sheriff’s Office.

If found, Lewis would be 81 years old and stands at 5-foot-10.^[1]