A Deputy U.S. Marshal and a New Castle County Police Detective were honored Wednesday for their efforts to solve missing and exploited child cases.
The awards, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, were presented at a Congressional Breakfast in Washington.
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Bill David from Wilmington and New Castle County Police Detective Jeff Shriner will be honored for their work recovering three children who were abducted by their father, Dr. David Matusiewicz and grandmother, Eleanor Matusiewicz.
Missing for more than 18 months, the children were taken out of the country and were on the run from authorities. Investigators were forced to follow a trail of bank fraud and deception that required assistance from Interpol, the Diplomatic Security Service, and law enforcement agencies in seven U.S. states and nine foreign countries.
The children were eventually found in Nicaragua and returned safely to their mother and the father pled guilty to international kidnapping and bank fraud and was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. The grandmother pled guilty in state court and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Law enforcement from Australia, California, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon will also be recognized at the Capitol Hill event.
