Board Members 2021

President

Jen Spears

407-402-0223

Jen Spears is an experienced homicide and cold case detective with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in central Florida. She has been a deputy since 1999, the majority of that time spent in criminal investigations serving in a variety of assignments. Jen has collaborated with numerous agencies around the nation through her casework and has received several accolades for her accomplishments in cold case investigations. Jen also serves as a committee member on the Florida Sheriff’s Association Cold Case Advisory Commission. She has a passion for organizing the best training available reaching the largest audience of law enforcement professionals possible.

Vice-President

Teresa Sprague

407-246-2959

Teresa Sprague is an experienced homicide detective and Master Police Officer with the Orlando Police Department.  Teresa has been a detective since 2007 and in law enforcement since 1996. She has lectured on domestic violence and homicide at the University of Central Florida, Valencia College, in local high schools, and at various conferences. Teresa believes strongly in networking and collaboration, education and relevant training as the cornerstones to solving homicides. Teresa and Jennifer created SEHIA with a vision of impacting current and cold case homicides in the USA and the personnel involved in getting justice for victims and their families.

Executive Director

Sally Wolter

Contact by email

Detective Sergeant Sally Wolter began her career as a police officer in Flint, Michigan in 1982. She joined the Michigan State Police in 1986 and served over 32 years, retiring in 2018 as a detective sergeant. For 18 years, she worked homicides and violent crimes in the Special Investigations Section. From 2008 – 2017, Sally was the supervisor of the Kent Metro Cold Case Team in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team was recognized as one of the most successful multi-jurisdictional cold case teams in the country. She wrote several federal grants and developed the standard operating procedures and protocol for the team.

Under her supervision, the Kent Metro Cold Case Team solved 19 homicides and was instrumental in changing legislation in Michigan regarding DNA collection samples from inmates in correctional facilities. Sally holds an associate degree in Applied Sciences/Criminal Justice. She presents on the topic of cold case homicide and multi-jurisdictional team approach to law enforcement throughout the country. She is a member of the NIJ Cold Case Working Group who co-authored the manual, “National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining Cold Case Units.”

Marketing Director

Paige Kneeland

Contact (916) 390-9516

Paige is a Deputy Sheriff with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department in California. She has been assigned to the Homicide Bureau since 2003 and is responsible for reviewing unsolved homicides, sexual assaults, and missing/unidentified persons cases to find resolution. She is the ViCAP Law Enforcement Manager for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and is the current Vice Chair of the ViCAP National Advisory Board. Paige also contracts with the Sacramento Police Department reviewing their unsolved homicide cases for their Cold Case Unit. She has a Masters Degree in Forensic Science from the University of New Haven and a Bachelors Degree in Science from the University of North Georgia.

Executive Assistant

Joanna Goldman

Contact by email

Joanna Goldman is a Medicolegal Death Investigator with the District 9 Medical Examiners Office since 2013. She is a board certified death investigator and a Fellow of ABMDI. Since starting as a crime scene investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 2011 and then moving to the Medical Examiners Office, Joanna has had the opportunity to investigate numerous violent crimes in Central Florida, including the Pulse Nightclub shooting. She is interested in strengthening the professional bonds between law enforcement agencies and the local medical examiners office. 

Board of Directors

Erin Carr

407-262-7616x1056

Erin Willis has been a detective with the Casselberry Police Department since 2012. Detective Willis began her career with Casselberry Police Department in 2008 and has worked in the uniform patrol division, criminal investigations, and as a traffic crash re-constructionist. Detective Willis is a general assignment detective and has investigated a multitude of crimes including homicides. She frequently assists neighboring jurisdictions with their cases and believes information sharing, teamwork, and networking are the keys to solving violent crime.

Tiffany Brown

Contact by email

Tiffany Brown is the current Coroner Investigative Forensic Supervisor for the Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Supervisor Brown began her career with Clark County’s Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in 2010. Hired as a Coroner Investigator, Tiffany quickly distinguished herself and was promoted to the position of Senior Coroner Investigator where she oversaw various shifts of the Investigative Unit. Tiffany is a Registered Medicolegal Death Investigator and has investigated well over 2000 coroner’s cases. She has been nationally recognized for her role in the “1 October” mass shooting in Las Vegas and speaks nationally on their response to this incident. Tiffany serves as co-coordinator for the Coroner Training Academy, which is a locally sponsored investigator course including both classroom and field training. Tiffany manages all unidentified human remains cases within Clark County, and has assisted in establishing national standards as a member of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) National Cold Case Working Group. Additionally, Tiffany actively participates in the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, the Trauma Intervention Program Advisory Board, and is the lead investigator for the Child and Infant Response (CAIR) Team. Tiffany is proactive in planning Mass Fatality Preparedness for Clark County’s Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. She holds the status of Diplomat with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, is trained in psychological autopsy investigation, and a lifelong native of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ryan Backmann

Project: Cold Case Director

904-525-8080

Ryan Backmann is the founder and executive director of Project: Cold Case, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving families of unsolved homicide victims. In 2009 Ryan’s father, Cliff Backmann, was shot and killed during a robbery in what remains one of Jacksonville, Florida’s 1,500+ unsolved murders. Project: Cold Case works to publicize cold cases and link families, information and law enforcement. Ryan has served on the Northeast Florida Child Death Review Team, as well as Chairman for the Mayor’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council in Jacksonville, FL. Ryan currently serves on the Florida Sheriffs Association’s Cold Case Advisory Commission as the only survivor/advocate.

Brian Tully

Contact by email

Brian Tully is a Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police.  He has been with the Department since 2006 and has been assigned to the Norfolk County State Police Detective Unit since 2012 where he conducts homicide investigations.  He has been recognized as an expert and aids other agencies with cell phone technology and mobile device forensics.
Brian believes in training and networking as a force multiplier for law enforcement.  He organizes annual training for Massachusetts homicide investigators.  He has traveled around the country and overseas training law enforcement in the behavioral characteristics of hostile actors.  He has a Master’s Degree in Criminology from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Stonehill College.

Mark DiBona

Mental Health Liaison / Protecting the Guardian

407-670-5279

Mark DiBona was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts. In 1985, Mark began his Law Enforcement career with the Braintree Police Department and later transferred to the Amtrak Police Department, Boston District.

In 1993, Mark moved to Florida and continued his career with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, where he where he retired as a Patrol Sergeant, after 33 years of Law Enforcement experience. Mark was also Police Academy Instructor at Seminole State College.

Throughout his Law Enforcement career, Mark has held several positions and assignments, to include Peer Support Unit, Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Public Information Officer and in-service training Instructor.

During his career, Mark developed mental health issues and a suicide attempt. He is very open speaking about these issues and his wellness.

Mark is a Co-founder of Protecting the Guardian, he is a Technical Advisor and Law Enforcement Mental Health Liaison with In The Line of Duty Video’s. Board Member and Law Enforcement Mental Health Liaison with Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association. Board Member with International Public Safety Association, Member of International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers. He is also an Advisor and Consultant for Here for You Blue.

Mark is an advocate for Law Enforcement Officer and First Responder Mental Health/Suicide Prevention/Wellness and Education. He has been a guest on several news radio, television, podcast, conferences, webinars, books and magazines. He also has appeared in training videos, a music video and is a motivational speaker.

In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Gailyn of 30 years and their dogs Bella and Romeo. Mark is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox, playing the guitar and Rock and Roll music.

Visit Protecting the Guardian Website

Jon Smith

Jon Smith began his career in 2004 with the Norfolk Police Department, located in Norfolk, Virginia. After spending time on patrol, he was transferred to the detective bureau in 2006 where he spent most of his time working within the homicide squad investigating homicide and various death cases. In addition to his death investigation experience, Jon spent several years in the vice and narcotic unit and several years in the forensic unit processing hundreds of major crime scenes.  Jon currently serves in the cold case office where he has worked and solved several cold case homicide and rape cases. Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University. He is a firm believer in continuing education. As such, he regularly attends conferences and training sessions so that he can continue to grow in knowledge as he investigates homicide cases. He also firmly believes in communicating throughout the law enforcement community, networking with other law enforcement related agencies, and in both providing and receiving training as he routinely teaches death and forensic related courses throughout various regions of the country.