About
Wendell Kruger retired in 2017 from the West Virginia State Police at the rank of Detective Sergeant after twenty-nine years of service, the last eleven of those as a senior homicide investigator in the WVSP Bureau of Criminal Investigations. In his career he was the lead detective on 142 homicide investigations, supervised 28 BCI investigators, and was the WVSP's liaison to the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit on rural-Appalachian violent-crime cases.
A native of McDowell County, West Virginia, Kruger holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Marshall University (2003) and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Concord University (1989). He completed the FBI National Academy at Quantico in 2009.
He joined the AB Criminal Justice faculty in 2018 as Professor of Practice. He teaches the core CJ courses, directs the AB Mock Trial team, supervises the CJ internship program (currently 22 placements across federal, state, and local agencies), and is the lead instructor for the AB summer Police Practicum.
Education
- 2009Certificate, FBI National Academy — FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia.
- 2003M.S., Criminal Justice — Marshall University.
- 1989B.S., Criminal Justice — Concord University (WV).
Teaching
Det. Sgt. Kruger teaches the core CJ sequence, the senior capstone, and the Mock Trial co-curricular program.
- CJ 215Introduction to Criminal InvestigationA foundational sophomore course covering investigative theory, evidence handling, interview & interrogation, case file management, and report writing. Includes a semester-long mock-investigation project.
- CJ 325Homicide InvestigationA junior-level seminar (capped at 12 students) on the methodology of homicide investigation, drawing on Kruger's direct case experience. Includes guest investigators from regional agencies.
- CJ 410Senior Capstone: Case Analysis & Mock TrialA year-long senior capstone in which each CJ senior takes a real (closed) case file and writes a publishable-quality case analysis; the senior class also serves as the AB Mock Trial team.
Practice, Pedagogy & Public Service
Kruger's academic identity is as a Professor of Practice: his scholarship is the discipline of teaching from a long career in the field. He has authored three book chapters on rural homicide investigation, is a frequent guest lecturer at the FBI National Academy and at the WV State Police Academy, and has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on rural-policing best practices.
He continues to consult on cold-case reviews for several WV county prosecutor's offices, and is the AB representative on the Barbour County Sheriff's Office Citizens Review Board.
Selected Publications & Presentations
- 2024Co-author, "Rural Homicide Investigation: A Field Practice Manual." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.
- 2023Book chapter, "The Cold Case Re-Examination Protocol," in Modern Homicide Investigation (Routledge).
- 2021Co-author, Investigative Interviewing for Rural Agencies. CRC Press.
- 2023U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee testimony, "Rural Policing in America."
Honors & Service
- 2024AB Mock Trial Team — Mid-Atlantic Regional Champions (faculty coach).
- 2017WV State Police Distinguished Service Medal.
- 2014WV Governor's Award for Public Safety.
- 2009FBI National Academy graduate.
- 2003Marshall University Criminal Justice Outstanding Graduate Student.
I taught my detectives that the best interview is one where you listen so carefully that the suspect tells you what they came in not knowing they were going to tell you. I teach my students the same thing — just with subpoenas instead of suspects.— Det. Sgt. Wendell Kruger (Ret.), MS
Beyond the Classroom
Kruger lives in Philippi with his wife Donna (a retired RN). They have three children, all of whom have followed him into public service (two WVSP troopers and one ATF special agent). He is a Sunday-school teacher at First United Methodist Church of Philippi and a longtime volunteer with the Barbour County Boy Scout Troop 14.
A serious turkey hunter and bird-dog handler, he runs a small kennel of English pointers at his property outside town. He is also the AB pep-band's most consistent attendee at men's basketball games (front row, north side, every game since 2018).