Don Lamb - Death

Death

In the episode "Mars, Bars", Lamb and Deputy Sacks answered a domestic disturbance call at the home of Mindy O'Dell. Lamb confronted Mindy's former husband and suspect in the Dean O'Dell murder case Steve Botando, who attacked him by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat and who was in turn shot by Sacks. The county commissioner informed Keith Mars that Lamb had died in the hospital from the severe trauma to his head and had asked for Keith to become interim sheriff.

Lamb's last known words were "I smell bread." This is a quote from a fatally wounded soldier (just before he died) in an episode of the television series M*A*S*H. As Lamb could very reasonably be assumed to be a fan of that show, its use here is a strong indication that Lamb knew he was seconds away from death and could not be saved but still wanted to be, as the actor phrased it, snarky.