Former Cop Now Tracks Down The Good Guys

Finding people is Dennis Black's niche.

The fact he gets paid to do it only sweetens the deal.

Black's job as an investigator for the state attorney rarely brings him to the forefront of a criminal court case. But his handiwork can be attributed to a number of successful prosecutions.

Take the case of Theron Black, who was convicted of shooting his wife to death in front of his 12-year-old son and infant daughter on Mother's Day 1976. A parole hearing was coming up and witnesses were needed to testify.

Black got the job, but he was cautioned: "We haven't found family members in 30 years."

Within days, Black had six family members, including the son who witnessed the murder. While scattered between Maryland, Georgia and Alabama, the family was delighted to finally be contacted and anxious to participate.

How does he succeed whether others fail?

"I went out and beat the bushes," said Black, 65.

There are 13 lawyers who rely on Black to find people others can't. Typically this means serving a subpoena after law enforcement's initial efforts aren't successful.

His searches usually begin on the computer, combing national and state databases for clues. One of the most common roadblocks is misspelled names, but Black has found ways to be creative and find what he's looking for. Sometimes the results are daunting.

A current assignment involves a woman with an address in Illinois, a Michigan driver's license and a deposition in the state of Washington.

If his investigations sometimes take him to high-crime, low-income areas, it's nothing new for Black. With 40 years of law enforcement experience, he has just about seen it all. The principal difference between that job and this one:

"I search for the good guys now," Black said.

While some victims are eager for a suspect to see justice, others would rather the entire affair be left alone. That's especially the case with domestic violence. Other times it's a drug deal gone bad that was reported by an uninvolved third party.

Street smarts and a natural gift of gab help Black smooth over any anxiety with reluctant witnesses. A stint on the SWAT team as a hostage negotiator lends Black an edge when it comes to reading behavior.

While the computer helps, sometimes it takes thinking outside the box to find an address. One such case involved a stabbing between two men at a Christmas party. Without even an address to begin with, Black followed up on a tip that the victim's uncle was on probation.

The Department of Corrections gave him a vague street name in Masaryktown. He was stumped because the uncle was pronouncing the street name with a Spanish accent. Some diligent poring over a map book and creative thinking finally lead him to Rowan Street.

The only case that came close to stumping Black was a missing witness in a murder trial. James Ray Booth was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Kenneth LaPointe Sr. during an argument over drugs in October 2006.

One of the men inside the trailer when the shots were fired was a fellow who went by the nickname "Bones." Black found an address for Bones on Fort Dade Avenue, so he took the usual initial route and knocked on the door. No answer.

Black quizzed the neighbors about Bones' whereabouts, but that was a dead end, too. Determined, Black staked out the house and knocked on the door at all hours of the night and day. He left notes at the door, but no one responded.

Then one day, a strange car was parked in the driveway. Black jotted down the license plate information and returned to his office for a database search. It came back to a man at the county jail, so Black paid him a visit.

"Sure I know Bones," Black was told. "I work with him."

After eight months of fruitless searching, Black got his first lead.

"My old heart started hammering," Black recalled.

The man directed him to a business in the industrial park, where Bones had a job. With subpoena in hand, Black found his man.

The thrill of the job, which he's been doing three years now, ties into his years in law enforcement.

"I just love being a public servant," Black said. "I've always enjoyed going to work."