Tasked with naming its first-ever “Investigator of the Year,” the California District Attorney's Association Board of Directors quickly turned its att

◼ Humboldt County gumshoe Wayne Cox nabs state 'Investigator of the Year' award
...when the association contacted Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos and his chief investigator, Mike Hislop, to tell them it was taking nominations for the award, both immediately thought of Cox.

”I knew (the association) was doing it for the first time, and I figured it's always best to start with your best foot forward,” Gallegos said. “Frankly, Wayne strives to excel at everything he does. He doesn't do anything halfway; I admire that about him.”

Hislop said Cox's tenacity and commitment are what make him flourish as an investigator. It doesn't matter whether Cox's assigned to investigating a misdemeanor vandalism case, the Student Attendance Review Board or a 20-year-old homicide, Hislop said he's going to approach it the same way.

”It's just his commitment to this job and our investigative bureau that led him to get this award,” he said....

In December 2008 -- some seven months after officially taking over the (Curtis Huntzinger) case in the wake of the disbanding of the Blue Lake Police Department -- Cox and the district attorney's office sent shock waves through the local community by solving the almost 20-year-old case. In doing so, Cox drew a confession out of Curtis' killer, Stephen Hash, brought him to justice and recovered Curtis' remains from beneath a fledgling redwood forest.

”It's quite an accomplishment to bring closure to a family,” said Cox, thinking back on the investigation. He quickly added that it was simply a “fresh set of eyes looking at an old problem.”

Cox was also quick to add that he's hoping to bring that same closure to more families. He said he's working a couple of other cold cases in his spare time, but declined to elaborate other than to say he wished the office had the budget to hire a full-time cold case investigator.

”There are 50-something unsolved homicides in Humboldt County right now,” he said. “I think that, with a concentrated effort between all law enforcement agencies in Humboldt County, I think a good portion of those could be solved.”

However, there currently is no cold-case position, Cox said, and there's a seemingly endless flow of current cases that require the attention of Cox and every other investigator in the office.

So, for the time being, Cox said he will continue to spend his lunch hours with old case files in hand. And, most likely, he will take them home at the end of the day.

***
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2010
CONTACT: District Attorney, Paul V. Gallegos
PHONE: (707)268-2568

The California District Attorney's Association Board of Directors Announces Investigator of the Year Award

Investigator Wayne Cox has been selected as the first ever California District Attorney’s Association’s “Outstanding District Attorney Investigator of the Year.” He was chosen in large part for his outstanding work in the case concerning Curtis Huntzinger, but also for his dedication to teamwork and willingness to pursue a case long after it has been abandoned by other law enforcement agencies.

The Association has been in existence for over 90 years and presently is composed of 2,500 prosecutors from throughout the state. CDAA’s mission is to serve the needs and promote the interests of California’s prosecutors. Honoring Investigator Wayne Cox is a way to highlight the important part that investigators play in the prosecutorial team; one which makes a District Attorney’s office more effective in promoting public safety. CDAA provides a forum for the exchange of information and innovation in the criminal justice field.

The award will be bestowed on Investigator Cox July 1st, 2010, at the CDAA Summer Conference and Awards Banquet held at the Monterrey Marriot Hotel.

Last year, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Fraternal Order of Police and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention honored Wayne Cox to receive special recognition with its 2009 Award for his work on the Huntzinger case.

The Humboldt DAs office will be honoring Wayne Cox today, Tuesday, May 11 at 3:00 PM, at a press conference and celebration.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call the above.