TROOPER OF THE YEAR 2010
Each year the Delaware State Police Executive Staff selects one Trooper for the Trooper of the Year Award. Troopers nominated must be recognized by their peers as having outstanding character and integrity and whose actions or performance significantly exceeded expectations during the previous calendar year.
This year, seven Delaware State Troopers were nominated. The Executive Staff selected Sergeant David L. Weaver as the 2010 Trooper of the Year.
Sergeant Weaver has been a Delaware State Trooper since 1988 serving his entire career at Troop 3 in Kent County; where he has worked in varied assignments to include; patrol, the crash reconstruction unit, the evidence detection unit, and his current position as the Supervisor of the School Resource Officer and Domestic Violence Units.
Sergeant Weaver was selected for this prestigious award based on his diligence, professionalism and dedication - highlighted in his handling of these two significant missing person cases.
As part of Sergeant Weaver’s duties, he reviews numerous missing person cases. One such case began on June 1, 2009, when Lisa Mumford was reported missing. Sergeant Weaver assumed the role of lead investigator on the case; interviewing numerous subjects familiar with Ms. Mumford. Through his investigation, he developed a person of interest in her suspicious disappearance. Sergeant Weaver continued to investigate and look for clues that would lead him to Mumford’s whereabouts. Finally, on January 21, 2010, after seven tireless months; Sgt Weaver, assisted by other Detectives, located Lisa Mumford’s body in a marshy area near Port Mahon. The Office of the State Medical Examiner determined that Mumford had been murdered. Sergeant Weaver continued as the lead investigator and on October 4, 2010, defendant Dorsey Parker was arrested and charged with 1st degree Murder.
The second investigation highlighted began on November 10, 2010, when a local business reported that a customer named Gary Sanders had missed a business obligation and they were concerned for his welfare. Sergeant Weaver opened a missing person investigation on Sanders who lived in the Bowers Beach area. Sanders had no immediate family in the area, and had not been seen since September 27, 2010. Once again, Sergeant Weaver diligently searched for clues that would lead him to Sanders’ whereabouts. During his investigation he developed a person of interest in the suspicious disappearance of Mr. Sanders. Sergeant Weaver developed enough information to obtain a search warrant at the residence of the person of interest. On December 16, 2010, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement officers, search dogs and a ground excavating crew, the search warrant was executed. The body of Gary Sanders was located buried in the ground on the suspect’s property. Once the victim was located, Sergeant Weaver contacted authorities in South Carolina to have the suspect, Juan Strydom, detained before he could flee. As a result of Sgt Weaver’s investigation Juan Strydom was returned to Delaware to face murder charges.
In both of these missing person cases as a result of Sgt Weaver's investigative efforts, his professionalism and dedication; justice was achieved on behalf of the victims, some closure was obtained for the victim’s families and two dangerous subjects are in prison for murder. It should be noted that during these exceptional cases, Sergeant Weaver continued to perform his regular duties supervising his Detective Units as well as handling other domestic violence investigations.
