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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the members of the | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois House of Representatives pay honor and respect to the | ||||||
| 4 | dedicated law enforcement officers who demonstrate | ||||||
| 5 | extraordinary perseverance and commitment in the pursuit of | ||||||
| 6 | justice for the citizens of this State; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Detective Michael Griffin of the Moline Police | ||||||
| 8 | Department has been named the 2026 Criminal Investigator of | ||||||
| 9 | the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police | ||||||
| 10 | (ILACP); and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, This prestigious honor, sponsored by the Illinois | ||||||
| 12 | Homicide Investigators Association, acknowledges Detective | ||||||
| 13 | Griffin's exemplary leadership and relentless dedication to | ||||||
| 14 | the investigation into the 1996 disappearance of 11-year-old | ||||||
| 15 | Trudy Appleby, a case that remained one of the most poignant | ||||||
| 16 | and difficult mysteries in the Quad Cities community for | ||||||
| 17 | nearly 30 years, representing 10,584 days of searching for | ||||||
| 18 | answers; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Since being assigned to the case in 2016, | ||||||
| 20 | Detective Griffin served as a "voice for the voiceless", | ||||||
| 21 | pouring through thousands of pages of prior interviews and | ||||||
| 22 | evidence and employing a strategic approach that included | ||||||
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| 1 | targeted community outreach and building vital trust with | ||||||
| 2 | witnesses; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Detective Griffin's tireless efforts and advocacy | ||||||
| 4 | led to a breakthrough in August 2025, resulting in a grand jury | ||||||
| 5 | indictment of a suspect in Trudy's disappearance; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Detective Griffin was officially honored for his | ||||||
| 7 | outstanding service at the ILACP Awards Banquet on May 1, | ||||||
| 8 | 2026; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Detective Griffin's work serves as a powerful | ||||||
| 10 | testament to the law enforcement profession and a reminder to | ||||||
| 11 | all that justice does not expire; his commitment continues as | ||||||
| 12 | he strives to fulfill his promise to the Appleby family to | ||||||
| 13 | bring Trudy home for a proper burial; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we congratulate Detective Michael Griffin on being named the | ||||||
| 17 | 2026 Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Illinois | ||||||
| 18 | Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), commend him for his | ||||||
| 19 | tenacity and brilliance in the Trudy Appleby investigation, | ||||||
| 20 | and extend our deepest gratitude for his service to the Moline | ||||||
| 21 | Police Department and the people of the State of Illinois; and | ||||||
| 22 | be it further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to Detective Griffin as an expression of our esteem | ||||||
| 3 | and respect. | ||||||