Lt. David James is the Chief Criminal Investigator for the sheriff's office. He started his service with the Sheriff's Patrol (Reserves) in early 1982. Was hired full time by Sheriff Norman Copeland in April 1986. He worked in the Jail Division and then patrol division until being assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division in 1988 and was also appointed to the 5 year old Cape Girardeau Bollinger County Major Case Squad. He served as a Crime Scene Investigator collecting evidence and processing Homicide scenes and as an Investigator conducting interviews and interrogations for the squad.
He was promoted to Sergeant April of 1988 and in addition to working routine Investigations he conducted Narcotics Investigations. He has specialized training in Forensic Interview and Interrogation techniques, White Collar Crime investigations and Counter Drug Special Response Tactical Training by the U.S. Army Military Police.
He was then promoted to Lieutenant in February of 1995. He served as Commander of the Cape Girardeau / Bollinger County Major Case Squad from February 2000 until May 2011 having been appointed by the board of directors after serving 12 years as a Squad Investigator. He currently serves as the Deputy Squad Commander.
He is a Missouri State Certified Fire Investigator and is the Sheriff's primary Hostage and Crisis Negotiator having been trained by the F.B.I. and the former lead Negotiator from the N.Y.P.D. He also has training in conducting on-line investigations and forensic computer examinations. He was formerly registered as a Medico-legal Death Investigator with the American Board of Medico-legal Death Investigators, and is a F.B.I. trained Police Instructor.
He supervises three Criminal Investigators in their daily work, oversees investigations worked by the patrol and jail divisions, and conducts Professional Standards Investigations for the Office. He is a F.A.A. Licensed Private Pilot. He is married and the father of four children and four grandchildren.
Sgt. Eric Friedrich started his service with the Sheriff's Office in 1990 he worked in the Jail Division, Patrol Division then was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division in 1994. Sergeant Friedrich is a Missouri State Certified Fire Investigator and has specialized training in Interview and interrogations, Counter Drug Special Response Tactical Training by the U.S. Army Military Police, and special weapons training in H&K Automatic Weapons. He supervises two criminal investigators in their daily work and oversees patrol and jail investigations. He also conducts Professional Standards Investigations for the Office.
Investigator Travis Sikes is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. Sikes graduated from the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy in November 1993. He also worked for the Cape Girardeau Police Department Reserve Unit from November 1993 - December 1994.
Travis Sikes began his service at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office on December 27, 1994 when he was assigned to the jail division.His general duties included processing jail inmates in and out of the detention facility, transports for medical, dental, and transporting prinsoners to the Missouri Department of Corrections.
In February 1996, Deputy Sikes was reassigned to the patrol division where he worked many times as the only Deputy Sheriff on duty at the time.
In May 1999, Deputy Sikes was promoted to an Investigator in the Criminal Investigative Division. His general duties include conducting follow-up investigations of all crimes and assisting the Patrol Division in responding to major events. Detective Sikes conducts proffessional standards investigations as assigned and oversees the evidence collection and preservation for the Office.
Investigator Sikes was assigned to serve on the Cape Girardeau / Bollinger County Major Case Squad in 1999 and is still serving as a seasoned Investigator for the squad today. He is an Investigator for the squad and Interviews witnesses and suspects and collects evidence as assigned. Sikes has specialized training in interviews and interrogations.
Investigator James (Jamie) Malugen started his service in 1993 graduating from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy then went to work for a while with the Washington County Missouri, Prosecuting Attorney's Office as a special investigator for Domestic Violence and Child and Sexual Abuse cases. Malugen then worked for a while with the Sikeston Department of Publlic Safety as a Dare Officer. Malugen is now a special Investigator assigned to the criminal division as of February 2006 primarily for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Investigations. He has special training in all aspects of crimes against the family. Domestic Abuse and Child Abuse are priority investigations taken very seriously by the Sheriff. Malugen is assigned full time to investigate these offenses.
The Criminal Division is responsible for the follow up investigation of all criminal offenses reported to the sheriff's office by the public and other agencies. Felony crimes are given the most attention by this division. Most of the misdemeanor cases are worked as far as possible by the patrol officer as he/she takes the initial complaint.
The Investigations Process:
Once a uniformed deputy takes the initial criminal complaint the officer usually follows-up the case as far as time permits since the first two hours are the best time to solve the case. The Investigators then conduct the follow-up investigation. Investigators also prepare affidavits for arrest warrants, search warrants, interview victims, witnesses, and suspects, liason with other agencies and perform many other related duties. Investigators are ultimately responsible for the evidence collected by the entire Sheriff's Office and maintain the integrity of the evidence until it is needed in court and or it is ordered to be destroyed.
