Senior Detective Dave Parris holds a flier requesting information about the 1997 disappearance of Karen Mitchell. Parris, the lead detective in the Mitchell investigation, will retire from the Eureka Police Department after 26 years of service. Katie O’Neill/The Eureka Reporter
Detective Dave Parris to retire this month
by Heather Muller , 11/21/2006
Senior Detective Dave Parris announced Monday that he will retire from the Eureka Police Department at the end of this month, after 27 years in law enforcement.
A native of Eureka, Parris spent 26 of those years with the EPD. He was hired as an officer in 1980 and promoted in 1985 to detective.
“I’ve been on call for 21 years,” Parris said. “It’s time to move on to something maybe a little easier on my family.”
Parris stepped into the public spotlight earlier this year when he managed Worth Dikeman’s campaign for district attorney.
“That was an unusual thing,” Parris said. “We were at a time in our community where I felt it was necessary to step up to the plate. I thought it was important that we have the best district attorney we could possibly find. I’d known Worth for 20 years and knew him to be the best.”
But Parris emphasized that he had no hard feelings toward District Attorney Paul Gallegos, who narrowly defeated Dikeman in June.
“That’s not really why I’m leaving. It was a personal decision. I hope Paul does a good job, and I hope the veteran (prosecutors) left in the office will help him. He has my complete support.”
Parris has also seen his share of publicity in the nine years he has spearheaded the Karen Mitchell investigation.
According to EPD Public Information Officer Suzie Owsley, “That was the one case in the back of his mind that he wanted to solve and didn’t.”
Mitchell disappeared from Eureka Nov. 25, 1997, and despite Parris’ plans to retire, he hopes to eventually solve the case.
“I’ve got a commitment from Chief (David) Douglas to remain on it as a reserve officer. My objective is to continue on with the follow-up that needs to be done.
“We’ve never really let up. We continue to get calls, believe it or not, and there are still fliers going up.”
Parris said he continues to suspect that Wayne Adam Ford, convicted in June of four counts of murder, including the death of a still-unidentified woman in Humboldt County whose torso was found in a slough, played a role in Mitchell’s disappearance.
“He’s a person of interest.”
Parris said the unidentified woman “was actually picked up by Ford on Broadway, probably less than a mile from where Karen was last seen,” Parris said.
A month to the day later, he said, Mitchell went missing.
Though he spent his career life investigating Eureka’s dark side, Parris said the city is still a wonderful place to live.
“I love this community, and it’s a great place to raise your kids. Not as good as in the ‘70s or ‘80s maybe. You just have to keep your family closer now.”
Owsley described Parris as a “great supervisor and co-worker,” sentiments seconded by Douglas.
“Dave Parris is one of the most knowledgeable and organized investigators in this entire region,” he said. “The EPD is really going to miss him.”
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.
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