Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Rest in Peace brother.

DUSM Jon
USMS

March 16, 2005

Again we mourn as another hero is taken from us. My deepest sympathy to the family, friends and co-workers of Assistant SAC Wilhelm. May the Lord give you strength and bless each of you during this time.

Rest in peace for your watch here is over; walk in heavens beat and guide us to protect and serve others safely.

US Ranger Catroppa
National Park Service Kennesaw GA

March 16, 2005

Nothing anyone can say will stop the pain. I too just lost my best friend, Deputy Wayne Koester, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Fl. EOW 02/09/2005. I take comfort in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” My prayers are with Agent Wilhelm's family and friends.

Sgt. David A. Seeley
Umatilla Police Department, Fl.

March 16, 2005

My deepest thoughts go to your family friends, and co-workers during this difficult time. Thank you for your service! I wish I could've been there for you on that fateful day. We would've either taken the suspect down together, or fallen beside each other. Salute!

P.O.-Michigan

March 16, 2005

Rest in peace sir.

Shannon
concerned citizen

March 16, 2005

AMERICA LOST ANOTHER HERO, AGENT WILHELM DIED A HERO, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS OFF DUTY, HE REALIZED THE PUBLIC WAS IN DANGER OF A VIOLENT MAN, AND HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE HIM DOWN, SIR REST IN PEACE TO THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY MAY GOD BLESS YOU

SGT. W. M. RILEY
ARAGON GA POLICE DEPT.

March 16, 2005

Rest in peace brother. Like all Customs officers who have passed on, you are now protecting another border - the gates to Heaven.

Senior Customs Officer
New Zealand Customs Service

March 16, 2005

My heart goes out to the family of Agent Wilhelm and to thise he worked with. I know that Salisbury will be packed with law enoforcement officers from all over. It seems like a small pentenance to pay for such a man. Honor him well, pit on your badges and uniforms proudly, as he would have done the same. Mrs Wilhelm, please remember that LEO wives are a breed of ourselves, it takes a special woman to fill the shoes of an LEO wife. We are here for you, you are in our prayers, not only this week, but for a very long time. Be proud of what your husband stood for and what he did.

LEO wife

March 15, 2005

On behalf of the Florida Department Of Environmental Protection Division of Law Enforcement, I would like to extend our heart felt condolences to the family, and fellow ICE agents, of Mr. Wilhelm. The entire law enforcement community suffered great losses on this tragic day. Justice will prevail! Thank You for your service and courage. Rest in peace my brother.

Officer D. Cruz
DEP POLICE (FLORIDA)

March 15, 2005

WHAT IS A COP?

Cops are human ( believe it or not) just like the rest of us. They come in both sexes but mostly male. They also come in various sizes. This sometimes depends on whether you are looking for one or trying to hide something. However, they are mostly big.

Cops are found everywhere-on land, on the sea, in the air, on horses, in cars, sometimes in your hair. In spite of the fact that "you can't find one when you want one", they are usually there when it counts most. The best way to get one is to pick up the phone.

Cops deliver lectures, babies, and bad news. They are required to have the wisdom of Solomon, the disposition of a lamb and muscles of steel and are often accused of having a heart to match. He's the one who rings the door-bell, swallows hard and announces the passing of a loved one; then spends the rest of the day wondering why he ever took such a "crummy" job.

On TV, a cop is an oaf who couldn't find a bull fiddle in a telephone booth. In real life he's expected to find a little blond boy "about so high" in a crowd of a half million people. In fiction, he gets help from private eyes, reporters, and who-dun-it fans." In real life, mostly all he gets from the public is "I didn't see nuttin'."

When he serves a summons, he's a monster. If he lets you go, he's a doll. To little kids, he's either a friend or a bogeyman, depending on how the parents feel about it. He works "around the clock", split shifts, Sundays and holidays, and it always kills him when a joker says. "Hey tomorrow is Election Day, I'm off, let's go fishing" (that's the day he works 20 hours).

A cop is like the little girl, who, when she was good, was very, very good, but, when she was bad, was horrid. When a cop is good, "he's getting paid for it." When he makes a mistake, "he's a grafter, and that goes for the rest of them too." When he shoots a stick-up man he's a hero, except when the stick-up man is "only a kid, anybody coulda seen that."

Lots of them have homes, some of them covered with ivy, but most of them covered with mortgages. If he drives a big car, he's a chiseler; a little car, "who's he kidding?" His credit is good; this is very helpful, because his salary isn't. Cops raise lots of kids; most of them belong to other people.

A cop sees more misery, bloodshed, trouble, and sunrises than the average person. Like the postman, cops must also be out in all kinds of weather. His uniform changes with the climate, but his outlook on life remains about the same: mostly a blank, but hoping for a better world.

Cops like days off, vacations, and coffee. They don't like auto horns, family fights, and anonymous letter writers. They have unions, but they can't strike. They must be impartial, courteous, and always remember the slogan "At your service." This is sometimes hard, especially when a character reminds him, "I'm a taxpayer, I pay your salary."

Cops get medals for saving lives, stopping runaway horses, and shooting it out with the bandits (once in a while his widow gets the medal). But sometimes, the most rewarding moment comes when, after some small kindness to an older person, he feels the warm hand clasp, looks into grateful eyes and hears, "Thank you and God bless you."

Officer David Carroll
Choctaw Oklahoma

March 15, 2005

Let it be known to all, "Those who defy Thy authority, defieth ME also" saith the Lord.

Agent Wilhelm, your service will never be forgotten! We in the law enforcement community salute you and pray for your family and comrades.

Police Officer Scott Parker
Itasca Police Department, Hill County Texas

March 15, 2005

Our deepest sympathy and heartfelt sorrow goes out to the family and friends of Asst.SAC Wilhelm.Rest easy brother,we will take it from here.

PO S.Harris #223
Cicero PD,Cicero,IL. 3rd Watch

March 15, 2005

Rest in peace, brother. You fought the good fight against a man who wasn't nice and your brothers in the law finally put him on ICE. You're now an angel of the law watching over us from the sky. I'll keep an eye out for you every time that I fly.

Federal Flight Deck Officer D. Paul
Department of Homeland Security

March 15, 2005

My condolences go out to the family and friends of this fallen hero.

Andrew, Police Officer
Baltimore City Police

March 15, 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and the Department.

Fallen but never forgotten!

Bryan Laurie son of Fallen Officer
Nathan Laurie EOW 7-29-04

March 15, 2005

Rest in Peace.

Special Agent Darin L. Paul
Federal Bureau of Investigation

March 15, 2005

You might be gone, but definately not forgotten. Having worked with you briefly, I can say it was an honor. Rest in peace brother.

Investigator CJ Scallon
Norfolk Police Department

March 15, 2005

“When God made Peace Officers….”

When the lord was creating Peace Officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, Have you read the spec on this order? A Peace Officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn’t touch, and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next day.

They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half- eaten meals. And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands….No Way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me the problems,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have.”

That’s on the standard model? asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, “May I see what’s in there sir?” (When they already know and wishes they had taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of their head for their partners’ safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, “ You’ll be alright ma’am, when they know it isn’t so.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve,” rest and work tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on civil service paycheck.”

The angel circled the model of the Peace Officer very slowly, “Can it think?” she asked.

“You bet,” said the Lord, “It can tell you elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in it’s sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five judges to debate the legality of the stop…and still it keeps it’s sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with crime scenes painted in HELL, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim’s family’ and then read in the daily paper how Law Enforcement isn’t sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Peace Officer. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.”

“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

“What’s the tear for?” asked the angel.

“It’s for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag, and for justice.”

“You’re a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked sober. “I didn’t put it there,” he said.


Anonymous

Senior Instructor
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

March 15, 2005

Im very sorry for what happened to you. God bless you, your family and co workers. PLEASE WATCH OVER US

Det Tony Brisinte
Orange Co SO Orlando FL

March 15, 2005

Thank you for your courage and your brave heart. Your service and commitment to uphold the law stands proud behind your name. Thank you for your sacrifice.

melissa smock
friend of jake laird EOW 8/18/04

March 15, 2005

David Wilhelm worried when duty kept U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out late.

"He didn't want to go to bed until he knew everybody was OK," said Jason Kidd, who worked for him. "Dave was very much into making sure everybody was OK and getting home safe."

On Saturday, two carpenters found Wilhelm's body in a five-bedroom Buckhead house he was building. Authorities suspect Brian G. Nichols killed Wilhelm, one of four assistant special agents in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Atlanta office, a day after they say Nichols killed a judge, court reporter and sheriff's deputy in downtown Atlanta.

Police found Wilhelm's 1994 Chevy pickup not far from a Gwinnett County apartment building where Nichols surrendered.

Wilhelm lived in Peachtree City with his wife of six years, Candee.

"He was the most honest person I've ever met," she said.

The couple had no children but doted on their dog, Mars.

She recalled her husband as a man with a strong work ethic. She said he rarely missed workouts at the gym and loved to do tile work. She said he had been working on their house almost every weekend for the last two months. They planned to move in in June.

On Friday, Candee Wilhelm said, as helicopters choppered overheard and authorities searched for the suspect in the courthouse shootings, she worried along with everyone else in metro Atlanta.

"I was edgy," she said. "We talked about that guy being out there."

About 8:30 p.m. Friday, she said goodbye to her husband and returned to their Peachtree City apartment while he continued working on the house.

"I tried to call him later," she said, "but I couldn't get an answer."

Colleagues recalled Wilhelm, 40, as a skilled investigator with a national reputation, an agent with a knack for complex cases who relaxed by tackling construction and home improvement projects.

"He was widely considered one of the top agents in the former Customs Service," Kidd said. "Everybody said, 'Who's your best agent?' That was Dave. He was the go-to guy, the top agent."

Wilhelm worked in Virginia and North Carolina before coming to metro Atlanta about five months ago. He supervised agents who investigate the drug trade, human trafficking, money laundering and other offenses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Kenneth Smith, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Atlanta office, called Wilhelm's death "a tragic loss for the entire law enforcement community." Voice breaking, he called Wilhelm "an exemplary officer, a trusted colleague and a true friend."

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias called Wilhelm "a great federal agent and a good man."

Wilhelm's brother, Patrick, is a special agent in Atlanta for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Wilhelm grew up in Salisbury, N.C., where his parents still live. He studied psychology in college and knew how to read people, a trait that served him well in his career, his wife said.

Wilhelm was a decorated agent who won the former Customs Service's prestigious Blue Eagle award in 2001. In a speech, Commissioner Robert Bonner singled out Wilhelm for his "single-handed determination" in the dismantling of eight drug smuggling organizations and the seizure of over 9 tons of marijuana and $2 million in "ill-gotten proceeds."

Jeff Jordan, assistant special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Charlotte, said Wilhelm worked harder than anyone he knew. "He was just a tremendous, tremendous soldier in our fight," Jordan said. "It's America's loss."

March 15, 2005

In life he touched many, in death he touched many more. The whole country mourns with you. To his parents, you raised a wonderful son. It's not right that you have to bury your child. To his wife, you can be proud of his accomplishments. You must be very special, too for he chose you
to be his partner. What a lovely home he was building for you. This is just so tragic and it will take God's tender mercies to get you through this canyon of grief. Know that all of America has you in their thoughts.
Lynn Kole
Washington State

March 15, 2005

Rest in peace Agent Wilhelm. God bless your family.

Trooper
Ohio State Highway Patrol

March 15, 2005

My fellow brother in our Federal System, your ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.

You were at the height of your bright career where on many times you excelled above and beyond the call of duty.

We have lost a brother here, but our Lord has gained a Soldier, a Hero!

From your fed brothers in blue.

PO Hector L Guzman 2170
US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
San Juan, Puerto Rico USA

PO Hector L Guzman
DVA Police San Juan

March 15, 2005

My the angels lead you into paradise. Rest in peace. My prayers are with your family.

P.O. Chris Welby
Bridgeton Police Department, Missouri

March 15, 2005