Detective, others honored at Wichita Crime Commission's 62nd annual ceremony

As a detective with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Ron Goodwyn spent nine years hunting Daniel Perez and his Valley Center commune.

He had a hunch that something was amiss, seeing the 55-year-old Perez surrounded by fancy cars and young women while having no obvious job or income to support that lifestyle.

Those nine years of sifting through trash cans and careful observation paid off for Goodwyn. In February, Perez was convicted of 28 charges in a Sedgwick County courtroom, including first-degree murder, rape and sexual exploitation of a child.

Goodwyn and two other investigators were largely credited with collecting the information for Perez’s guilty verdict.

2015 is now officially Goodwyn’s year, as he was named the Wichita Crime Commission’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year at its banquet Wednesday night.

Goodwyn, who has since retired, was visibly emotional while accepting the award on Wednesday.

In an acceptance speech, he took great lengths to provide thanks to other investigators who assisted in the case, most notably Wichita police Det. Clint Snyder.

“While other investigators sometimes scoffed at this investigation as a huge waste of time and effort, Detective Snyder ... was very supportive and added experience, knowledge and wisdom to the case,” Goodwyn said. “Without Clint Snyder’s involvement in the case, the result would have been very different.”

Sheriff Jeff Easter, who called Goodwyn “a very tenacious detective,” described the years of investigation Goodwyn put into the case. Once, Goodwyn even followed Perez to a Wichita restaurant and went in after Perez had left to collect silverware and plates for potential fingerprints, Easter said.

Goodwyn helped investigate racketeering cases alongside the Wichita Police Department as well as various money laundering schemes during his career as a sheriff’s detective, Easter said.

Multiple law enforcement officers from the area were honored Wednesday evening at the ceremony.

Following are others who were honored Wednesday, and why.

▪ Willard Garvey Crime Prevention Officer of the Year: Wichita Police Department Patrol East’s SCAT Team (Sgt. Mike Thode and Officers Matthew Fisher, Jamie Thompson, Kevin McKenna, Vincent Reel, Lee Froese, Mallory Rosales and Anthony Villegas)

The SCAT Team, which was formed in March, concentrates on identity theft, forgery and fraud, said interim police Chief Nelson Mosley. The Patrol East team has recovered the identities of approximately 340 people and cleared numerous cases of identity theft and forgery since its inception.

▪ Willard Garvey Citizen Activist of the Year: Stephanie Fisk McCurdy

McCurdy has volunteered with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office’s L.A.W. Camp since 2007, a weeklong camp that introduces at-risk youths to law enforcement officers in an attempt to foster a positive relationship. McCurdy has mentored children, served food, emptied trash and done various other things to help with the camp’s activities.

▪ Humanitarian Award: Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Col. Brenda Dietzman and Lt. Mary Mattingly

Dietzman and Mattingly are two of the main organizers of L.A.W. Camp, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this past year. “In short, (Dietzman) is responsible for the success of the camp,” Easter said. Mattingly assists Dietzman with various tasks and is in charge of the camp when Dietzman is absent. She also takes care of disciplinary problems and other logistics at camp.

▪ Criminal Justice Professional of the Year: Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt

Schmidt was honored for his work in advocating for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s new lab at Washburn University, set to open in November, as well as his work on fixing the Hard 50 law in 2013. He also passed various human trafficking statutes as a legislator.

The Wichita Crime Commission is a citizens group perhaps most publicly known for its Crime Stoppers anonymous tip program. It hosts an annual dinner to “pay tribute and tell the story of outstanding performances by greater Wichita area law enforcement professionals,” according to its website.

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 9:51 PM with the headline "Detective, others honored at Wichita Crime Commission's 62nd annual ceremony."