VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The local FBI agent who cracked the notorious Walker spy ring in the 1980s has died.
Robert "Bob" Hunter was the lead investigator in the 1985 arrest of master spy John Walker, who led what U.S. officials called the most damaging espionage case in American history.
The Walker spy ring operated for nearly two decades, spanning five presidencies, stealing top-secret information from the Navy and selling it to the Soviet Union.
In 1999, Hunter wrote a book about his experiences: "Spy Hunter: Inside the FBI Investigation of the Walker Espionage Case."
Upon hearing of Walker's death in prison in 2014, Hunter told 13News Now: "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
Asked what motivated Walker, Hunter said: "Greed. G-r-e-e-d."
According to his obituary, Hunter passed away on May 29. He was 87 years old.