Sergeant Brett Ward of the McKinney Police Department has recently earned a distinguished accolade for his investigative acumen, the 2025 DA Greg Willis Super Sleuth Award. This honor, bestowed by the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, highlights exceptional investigative work, and this year, only five detectives earned this recognition.
In a particularly intricate murder case involving the death of Shailene Velez, Sgt. Ward demonstrated an unyielding pursuit of the truth that stood apart from the norm. The defendant initially claimed that the shooting was accidental, resulting from a mishap while “clearing” his handgun. However, Ward was skeptical of the story, and his probing proved critical. According to a social media post from the Collin County DA’s Office, inconsistencies in the defendant’s account and the physical evidence prompted Sgt. Ward to dig deeper.
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