2024 Guest Speaker's
Jennifer SchuettThis survivor plenary will detail the case of the presenter, Jennifer Schuett, who was kidnapped as an eight-year-old, brutally raped, had her throat cut and was left in a field for dead. Jennifer will detail her experience, becoming the survivor she is today, and her desire to motivate other survivors and professionals who work within the system. Advances in technology will be discussed, and eventually how DNA identified a possible suspect and the steps taken to connect him to the crime. Jennifer is a proud victim advocate and survivor and has shared her journey for justice on the Today Show, America’s Most Wanted, CNN & Investigation Discovery, among many other places. Jennifer is a co-recipient of TAASA’s 2010 “Champions For Social Change” Award, was named a "Galveston County Champion" in 2012, and was also named Girl ExtraOrdinaire 2012 by Girl ExtraOrdinaire in California
Tim CromieChief of Police Tim Cromie began his service with Nassau Bay in 2018. With over 33 years of service, Chief Cromie worked through the ranks of Patrolman, Patrol Sergeant, Community Policing Officer, DARE Instructor, School Resource Officer, Detective, Public Information Officer, Detective Sergeant and nowChief of Police. Cromie holds a Master Peace Officer License and a Police Officer Instructor License through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and has over 2,600 hours of continuing education and training in law enforcement.He has conductedtrainingsand presentations across the United States and Canada, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National District Attorney’s Association, Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Toronto Police Services, and the International Symposium on Human Identification. Chief Cromie will speak on his role in the Jennifer Schuett case.
Mark YarbroughMark Yarbrough was elected as the Lamb County & District Attorney, and served for 20 years, prosecuting everything from death penalty cases to DWIs. During his tenure, in 2002, he was awarded the M.A.D.D. regional prosecutor of the year. He served on the board of directors for the Texas District & County Attorney’s Association, and is a member of the National District Attorney’s Association. He also is one of the founding fellows of the Texas Prosecutor’s Society. Mark is listed by the Lawyers of Distinction as one of the top 10% of lawyers in the United States, and by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys as one of the “10 Best Attorneys” for Texas. Mark graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1984. Following that, he worked as a loan officer for Dallas Federal Savings. In 1987, Mark went back to law school at Texas Tech School of Law where he graduated in 1989. At the end of 2012, Mark retired as District Attorney and travels the country giving motivational speeches regarding Burnout. He has also written and been published on the subject of Burnout. Mark’s interests include – golf, basketball, karaoke, and tropical vacations. 
John Wayne WaldingJohn Wayne Walding spent 12 years in the United States Army, including seven years in the Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and during his career at 3rd SFG, he served on ODA 396/3336 as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant and the Sniper Detachment as a Sniper Instructor.
It was during the harrowing battle of Shok Valley on April 6, 2008, that John would lose his leg to a sniper, and yet returned fire for four more hours with his severed lower limb tied to his thigh. The incredible story of that six-hour fight is detailed in the book No Way Out: A Story of Valor in the Mountains of Afghanistan by Mitch Weiss and Kevin Maurer.
Post-injury, John attended Special Forces Sniper School and upon graduation became the first amputee ever to become a Green Beret Sniper. Using a hand crank, he went on to compete in the 2009 Boston Marathon, in which he finished 4th, finished in the top 10 in the 2009 New York Marathon, and ran the Army 10 Miler.
John holds the Silver Star as well as the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat
Infantry badge, Airborne Air Assault and the Special Forces Tab. In 2014, John was named the recipient of Crown Royals annual “Your Hero Name Here” program for the Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400, making the races official name the John Wayne Walding 400. John and his wife, Amy, reside in Frisco, Texas, with their four children: Emma, Sam, Andie and Hannah.
Jeff Wolf Jeff is a 22-year veteran police officer with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety, and is currently assigned as a Lt. with the Texas Rangers out of the Bryan District Office. He is an instructor for the TxDPS, as well as the National Forensics Academy, and instructs on all levels of Crime Scene Investigation, Evidence Collection and Preservation, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, and Shooting Incident Reconstruction. He has been involved in numerous mass shooting investigations throughout the State and most recently testified in the Gerald Goines trial in Harris County.
A look at the Harding Street raid: In 2019, a narcotics search warrant was conducted at a residence in Harris County leaving four police officers shot and the two residents killed by police gunfire. In the following days, it was learned the lead narcotics officer had falsified the affidavit and all aspects of the investigation came under heavy scrutiny by the media, attorneys, and the public. One officer was initially indicted and arrested for murder, with that charge being dropped later, and eventually the lead narcotics officer would be arrested and convicted of two counts of murder. We'll review the facts surrounding the case and discuss the impact of proper evidence documentation and collection, that ultimately led to clearing one officer and convicting another officer.
