At the end of a long shift, my partner and I...
returned to the 33rd District Police Station to find a man standing at the Sergeant's desk trenched from the pouring rain. That man was Malcolm Peterson. Even at a glance, I could see he was overcome with fear and concern. From that chance encounter, I became personally connected to a case that would haunt me for over 40 years. As the first law enforcement officer to speak to Mr. Peterson and file the Missing Persons report on his son and the Schuessler brothers, I was selected to serve as one of several members of a Special Investigating Unit established for the sole purpose of finding their killer. Because of my firsthand knowledge and devotion to bringing their killers to justice, I have been frequently quoted in and interviewed by television and print media regarding their murders.
Born and raised on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, during the depression, my father placed me and my brother into St. Joseph's Orphan Home for two years before our mother found and rescued us. At the age of 15, I dropped out of St. Mel’s High School to join the U. S. Merchant Marines and serve in WWII. In 1950, I again joined the armed forces and served as a U. S. Marine during the Korean War. After completing active duty in 1954, I was assigned to the 33rd District as a probationary officer. Upon joining the force, I became a member of the newly-founded three-wheel motorcycle division. In less than a year, I was promoted to district detective, the youngest in the Chicago Police Department. During my 14 years as a Chicago Detective, I received many accolades for achievements and acts of bravery. In 1968, I left the force to become the Director of Security for Bargain Town U.S.A., which was eventually bought out by Toys-R-Us. I retired from Toy-R-US after 25-years of service, as Manager of Security for the Midwest Region.
I am honored to be one of the few detectives to earn the highest award from the National Police Officers Association of America for the number of solved homicides. In 1977, the Governor of Illinois appointed me to serve on the Illinois Criminal Justice Council and I was later appointed to the Illinois Juvenile Commission for seven years. I have also served as the President of the Illinois Security Chiefs as well as a member of its board of directors for several years.