Ted Wilson Retires (Harris County Prosecutor)

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VETERAN PROSECUTOR AND LEGAL AUTHORITY TO RETIRE

(Houston, TX) - Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson today announced the retirement of 35-year veteran Ted Wilson, who went from Justice of the Peace clerk to become a nationally recognized authority in criminal law.

Police and prosecuting agencies from Vermont to Seattle have sought out Wilson, chief of the Professional Development Bureau, for training. One of his specialties is the particularly challenging legal arena of establishing probable cause for lawful police searches and seizures.

In his career, Wilson also led numerous investigations and prosecutions in several complex cases he coordinated with outside agencies.

The District Attorney called Wilson a tireless worker.

"Ted Wilson has been a masterful 'bridge-builder'for this office," Magidson said. "He's represented this office well in legislative matters, worked with federal authorities, and worked with the state, the city and county."

His trial court performance led to more precedents and convictions in high-profile cases for the DA's Office.

Long before there were "cold case" squads, Wilson in 1992 convicted a Canadian man in the 24-year-old killing of his wife. Houston police honored Wilson with a public service award for securing a rare guilty verdict in a murder case in which the victim had never been found.

He helped prosecute "Railcar Killer" Angel Maturino Resendiz, who confessed to nine slayings. Wilson also went up against lawyers for an Elvis impersonator, who was convicted of soliciting the capital murder of his wife.

However, his strangest case started with the Halloween 1985 disappearance of a Baytown girl. The killer began sending notes - the first led police to the victim's body. More messages carried chilling, cryptic clues and instructions, along with the threat that, if they didn't catch him, he would murder again by Christmas

Wilson and police solved the case days later - the killer was a 15-year-old boy, later sent to prison as an adult.

"The great thing about this job is that you never know what kind of case is going to come through the door next," Wilson said. He praised the camaraderie of the DA's Office, and the cooperative spirit among prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.

The Houston native served as an Army lieutenant in the Viet Nam War. He returned one day before starting school at the South Texas College of Law.

Wilson, 62, has headed DA divisions or bureaus in Major Fraud, Narcotics, Organized Crime and Major Offenders.

He plans to continue his national lecture work after his retirement, effective Aug. 4. District Attorney Magidson has named Public Integrity Division Chief Donna Goode as the new Chief of the Professional Development Bureau.