On Thursday, April 27, in a ceremony attended by friends, family, and Sheriff’s Office personnel, Sheriff Mark Hunter presented three agency members with awards due to their outstanding work achievements.
Sergeant Jimmy Watson, Detective Cal Fenner (Ret), and Forensic Technician Jason Massey were awarded the Sheriff’s Office Commendation Medal for their efforts in solving a 23 year old cold case homicide. The case began in June of 1994 when an unidentified torso was discovered at a gas station on I10 and SR 441.
Detective Fenner processed the original crime scene and investigated the case until his retirement in 2012. In 2013 Sergeant Watson was assigned the case and with the assistance of FT Massey continued investigating the case. Following up with advancements in crime scene technology and assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the victim was identified in 2015. In 2017, an arrest was made after 23 years, bringing closure to the family of the victim.
“It’s sometimes difficult to pick out folks for special recognition at the Sheriff’s Office because there is so much good work being done daily.” Sheriff Mark Hunter said. “However the actions of this group clearly stood out due to the exceptional work and dedication displayed to solve this case. I am very proud of them and all of the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, since it was a team effort lead by these men”.
L-R Detective Cal Fenner (Ret), Forensic Tech Jason Massey, Sheriff Mark Hunter and Detective Sergeant Jimmy Watson
