The core of the training staff are Texas Rangers Frank Malinak, Rudy Flores and Jim Huggins. They bring almost 90 years of combined law enforcement experience to the classroom. Additional training staff members are senior investigators, forensic scientists and forensic practitioners from various city, county and state law enforcement agencies.
Sergeant Flores is a 28 year veteran of Texas law enforcement. He is relied upon as an expert witness in federal and state courts on bloodstain pattern analysis and death investigations. Sergeant Flores has served as a sheriff's deputy, police officer, Trooper, Sergeant and Texas Ranger with the Department of Public Safety. He holds an A.A.S. in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the Law Enforcement Management Institute at Sam Houston State University. Sergeant Flores attended the Southern Police Institute's Homicide Investigation Course at the University of Louisville and has advanced training in homicide investigation, crime scene reconstruction and bloodstain pattern analysis from the Southern Institute of Forensic Science. He holds certifications as a Master Peace Officer, Instructor and Special Investigator from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and has over 4,700 hours of accredited training. Sergeant Flores is a member of the Crime Scene Investigation Working Group assigned to design, implement and instruct advanced crime scene investigation techniques for the Texas Rangers.
Sergeant Huggins holds a Master's Degree in Forensic Science from Oklahoma State University and is an instructor in the Texas Forensic Science Academy through TEEX and Texas A&M University. He is also a subject matter instructor in Biological Evidence, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, and Shooting Incident Reconstruction in the Texas Ranger Advanced Crime Scene School. Sergeant Huggins is a 28 year veteran of DPS and has held the positions of Highway Patrol Trooper, Criminal Investigative Sergeant and has been a Texas Ranger Sergeant for thirteen years. He has been accepted in state court as an expert witness in bloodstain pattern analysis, death investigation, and shooting incident reconstruction. With over 4,700 hours of accredited training, his certifications include Master Peace Officer, Police Instructor, Polygraph Examiner (past), Forensic Hypnotist, Special Investigator and Hostage Negotiator. Affiliations include Homicide Investigators of Texas, Southwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, International Association for Identification – Texas Division, International Crime Scene Investigators Association, Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction, International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, Texas Association of Law Enforcement Polygraph Investigators (past), Texas Association for Forensic Hypnosis and Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators. He is a former member of the DPS SWAT team and President George W. Bush's presidential campaign protective detail.
Lieutenant Malinak is a 30 year law enforcement veteran with sixteen years as a Texas Ranger. He began his career as a sheriff’s deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Trooper in the Texas Highway Patrol Service. Frank promoted to Sergeant Investigator with DPS Motor Vehicle Theft Service and is past president of the Texas Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators. Sergeant Malinak holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A & M University. He is a TCLEOSE certified instructor and has taught numerous courses in criminal investigation throughout the state. Frank is a TCLEOSE certified forensic hypnotist and currently serves as Vice President of the Texas Association for Investigative Hypnosis. Sergeant Malinak serves on the Major Crimes Assessment Committee of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas. He has investigated a variety of crimes including homicides, public corruption and organized crime.
Walter Henson has been employed with the Texas Department of Public Safety for over 21 years. He is currently employed as a Forensic Scientist in the Latent Print Discipline for the Crime Laboratory in Austin, Texas. Before coming to the Crime Lab he was the A.F.I.S. project Assistant and LiveScan Coordinator for the State. Walter is a certified TCLEOSE Instructor and has taught many classes throughout the State on the Development and Comparison of Latent Prints. Walter has conducted advanced training classes at the Texas DPS Academy and made presentations for the Texas Division of the IAI and the Texas Rangers. Additionally, Walter has traveled extensively across the state conducting training classes on AFIS and Livescan. He has experience as an expert witness and has testified numerous times in both State and Federal Court. Walter currently holds the position of Second Vice President in the Texas Division of The International Association for Identification and also chairs several committees for this same organization.
Detective Joe Berreth brings over 33 years of experience as an officer and 29 years as polygraph examiner to the classroom. Joe started his career in the Aberdeen (South Dakota) Police Department in 1970 and was promoted to detective in 1975. He attended the Polygraph Examiners School at Texas A&M University in 1979. Joe served as a detective in Aberdeen until 1985, when he moved to Texas. He was in private practice as a polygraph examiner until 1990, when he joined the Palestine Police Department. Joe was promoted to detective in 1994 and is the senior investigator in the department. Joe is licensed to perform polygraph examinations in Texas and South Dakota and has conducted over 5,000 polygraph examinations. He is routinely called upon by officers and agencies throughout East Texas to assist in major investigations based on his skill as an examiner and interviewer. Joe is licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and holds Master Peace Officer and Instructor certifications. Detective Berreth has advanced training in interviews and interrogations, statement analysis and homicide investigation. Joe is a member of the Texas Association of Law Enforcement Polygraph Operators and formerly served on its board.
Nick Webb is a Lieutenant at the Palestine Police Department and serves as Patrol Division Commander. Nick holds an Associates of Science degree from Trinity Valley Community College and TCLEOSE certifications as a Master Peace Officer, Instructor and Firearms Instructor. Nick has been a Texas peace officer since 1990; having previously served as an officer, narcotics agent and detective at the Athens Police Department. Nick is a crime scene specialist and has been accepted in state court as an expert witness in latent fingerprint examination, collision reconstruction, shooting reconstruction and bloodstain pattern analysis. Nick has taught crime scene investigation and photography for local police academies and agencies.
Tammy Ford, RN,CA/CP SANE. Tammy graduated from Tyler Junior College in 1986 with an Associates in Applied Sciences Nursing degree and was certified as an adult and pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner in 1999. Tammy is the Clinical Manager for Medical Staff Services at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, Texas. Tammy has been the sexual assault nurse examiner for the counties of Hidalgo, Rusk, Anderson and Cherokee. She assists law enforcement with the collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault and homicide investigations. Tammy has been in the medical field since 1981 and has worked in the field of intensive care, emergency care, home health, surgery, and cardiac care. Tammy has been accepted in state court as an expert witness in sexual assault trauma and sexually transmitted diseases.
Gene Henderson has been with the Texas Department of Public Safety for nearly 40 years. He currently works as a Forensic Video Specialist, providing both Forensic Photography and Videography and is assigned to the State Police Crime Lab in Austin. Gene holds an Associate Degree in Photographic Technology and has been a member of the Texas Professional Photographers Association member since 1980. He is also a charter member of the Law Enforcement/Emergency Services Video International Association (LEVA) and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Gene has taught numerous classes for the Texas DPS statewide and also is the lead instructor for LEVA’s Crime Scene/Critical Incident Videography courses in both the United States and Canada. He has been using Adobe Photoshop for Forensic Video Analysis and image Enhancement for over 15 years. Additionally, Gene has documented crime scenes for DPS Crime Lab throughout the state, the Texas Rangers, the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept., Bureau of Indian Affairs, and numerous other local and federal agencies. He has videotaped many major crime scenes and incidents throughout his career most notably the Mt. Carmel Branch Davidian case, the Luby’s Cafeteria Homicide incident in Killeen, Republic of Texas Incident in Ft. Davis, Baby Brandon Baugh Murder, Madelyn Murray O’Hare Murder case, as well as numerous other incidents including natural disasters, demonstrations and riots, reenactments of Officer Involved Shootings and documentation of various criminal activities. Gene was appointed to the FBI’s Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology in 1999 for providing digital imaging/video guidelines and SOP’s to police agencies worldwide.
