Criminal Investigator Biography

John L. Volkerding

John L. Volkerding

John L. Volkerding assumed his duties as Criminal Investigator for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on May 18, 1998.

Volkerding joined the prosecuting attorney's office straight from the Cape Girardeau Police Department, where he worked his last day as a Detective Sergeant on Thursday, May 14, 1998. Volkerding served on the Cape Girardeau Police Department for 25 years, beginning on October 1, 1972. He has worked in all aspects of law enforcement, from being a patrolman to being a detective, from working white collar fraud to murder cases.

The investigator for a prosecutor's office performs a wide variety of duties. In Cape Girardeau County, the initial investigation of most routine crimes is usually done by either the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Jackson Police Department or the Sheriff's Department. The prosecutor's investigator is available to these agencies to assist them with the investigation of complicated and more serious cases, and frequently does so, particularly on homicide and rape cases. He serves as an investigator for the Major Case Squad, called out on any major investigation. A big part of his job, too, is using the investigation done by another law enforcement agency as a starting point and finishing it up by doing whatever supplemental investigation needs to be done to get the case ready to go to trial. He also assists the prosecutor during the trial by following up any new leads that arise and by making sure that witnesses get to court, no matter how far away court might be, and no matter how vigorously they are trying to avoid subpoena. The investigator also prepares the paperwork for all criminal extraditions, which is the paperwork needed when a fugitive from Cape Girardeau County has been found in another state and is refusing to voluntarily come back. The investigator also assists in teaching seminars for local law enforcement officers. The investigator occasionally conducts original investigations in cases where a local agency has a potential conflict of interest (such as where a Cape Girardeau or Jackson police officer might be alleged to have assaulted someone). He also conducts original investigations on various other crimes reported to the prosecutor's office, such as bad check cases.

Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle says he feels fortunate to have Volkerding on his staff. "We are lucky to have John Volkerding as a part of our team. John has worked in all aspects of law enforcement and is universally respected by other officers. With his experience he brings with him the instant credibility I look for in an investigator. He is an experienced and conscientious professional who knows the right way to conduct an investigation and who works well with officers from other agencies. I trust his ability and integrity in handling any sort of investigation and look forward to having him as my strong right arm for many years to come."

Like Swingle, Volkerding is from a second generation Cape Girardeau County law enforcement family. His father, Capt. Glenn W. Volkerding, was a Cape Girardeau police officer for 21 years, serving from 1952 to 1973.