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Josephine Wentzel

Josephine loves people, is compassionate, and has a thirst for justice. She was born the eleventh child to a family of fifteen and is no stranger to pain and suffering. Josephine suffered the loss of three siblings to violent deaths, war, accident, murder. 

At the early age of sixteen, Josephine wanted to make a difference in the community. She volunteered to become a Candy Striper for Guam Naval Hospital, witnessing the devastation of the Vietnam war soldiers who were brought to Guam injured and dying. When she heard there was a desperate need for volunteers at the Asan refugee camp, a place for Vietnamese fleeing from war, she immediately volunteered and assisted with displaced families as well.  

Josephine joined the Guam Police Department at a young age and served in patrol, the legal department, and later becoming a detective.  While in the police department she received the very first legislative award for capturing four murderers who escaped from the penitentiary unsuspected.  Josephine received a meritorious award, commendation award, and an award for excellence in service, relating to capturing the escaped prisoners and singlehandedly apprehending a burglar in progress and robbery in progress. Josephine was runner-up for Police Officer of the Year. 

After getting married and having her first child, Josephine decided to hang up her badge and raise her family.  She moved her family to Glendora, California where she became advocate for children with learning disabilities and a Sunday School Superintendent for a local church in Arcadia, California.

Ten years later, Josephine moved to Vancouver, Washington where she worked for a government agency.  While working, she volunteered for TIP (Trauma Intervention Program) and later became a Court Appointed Advocate (CASA) assisting with children placement after abuse. 

In 2006, Josephine lobbied for ‘transparency in adoptions’ with the Washington State Legislature. She was able to get Senate Bill 6635 passed. After that she took the position of Governmental Affairs with Antioch Adoptions in Redmond, Washington working closely and behalf of Dr. Ken “Hutch” Hutcherson.

On November 2011, Josephine ran for Vancouver City Council in hopes of preventing tolling of the I-5 bridge between Washington and Oregon. While she did not win the election, she was able to garner forty-seven percent of the votes against a popular incumbent.  

On June 10, 2016, Josephine’s daughter, Krystal Jaye Mitchell, was brutally murdered in San Diego, California. Her murderer then fled to Mexico and onto Central America. After five months of waiting and not getting any feedback on the murderer, Josephine started Angels of Justice and decided to hunt for the killer herself. In December of 2016, Josephine traced the murderer to Belize, then unto Guatemala. At this time, her case was referred to the US Marshals who pushed her case into Top15 status. Unfortunately, the murderer was aware of her search, so he fled each time. Because of her tenacity, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan stated during an interview: “He (murderer) messed with the wrong mother.” Josephine continues her search.

After losing her daughter, and while continuing the search for her daughter’s murderer in Central America, Josephine began reaching out to families of murdered loved ones. Josephine used her investigative skills to help mothers who are mourning their child’s loss and to help them navigate through the dark process. She attempts to help facilitate relationships between families and law enforcement agencies other networks. 

During her quest for justice, Josephine assisted a group who rescues children, locate a missing teenager who was being prepped for human trafficking in San Diego. She was also able to locate another teenager, missing with unusual circumstances, in Tennessee. Josephine saved an American family from threat of shooting and kidnapping and exposed tips of human trafficking to the US Embassy in Central America. 

Experience:  Public Speaking; Police Investigations, Lobbying, Government Relations, Research, CISM, Public Relations, Open-Source Training, Marketing, Networking
                        
© 2023, Cold Case Foundation Inc. - 501(c)(3)
  • Home
    • The Cold Case Foundation Mission
    • Behind the Brand
    • Videos
  • THE TEAM
    • EXECUTIVE TEAM >
      • Gregory M. Cooper - Executive Director
      • Dean Jackson - Deputy Executive Director
      • John E. Douglas - Chairman Emeritus
    • Executive Support Team >
      • Francine Bardole - Director of Forensic Sciences
      • Dana Boss - Analyst Supervisor
      • AJ Jackson - Creative Director
      • Dr. Lawrence J. Simon - Director of Research
      • Chris McDonough - Law Enforcement Relations
      • James Patrick - Director of Intelligence
      • Robert E. Taylor, Jr. - Director of Training
      • Cathie Vallas-McKinzie - Case Management Supervisor
      • James L. Vance - Communication Specialist
    • INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
    • FORENSIC TEAM
    • Investigative Support Services
  • Training
    • Training Schedule
  • Law Enforcement
    • Case Study
    • Volunteer Application
    • Funding & Resources
    • Victimization
  • Prevention
    • Stress Reduction >
      • Suicide Prevention
      • Terminology
    • Resources
  • Memorial
  • Our Network
    • Grief & Hope
    • Contribute
    • Testimonials
  • Partners
  • The Vault
  • Contact
    • MEDIA INQUIRIES