Barger and Wyatt were the lead detectives that investigated Austin Myers and Timothy Mosley for the murder of Back, from Wayne Twp., in January 2014.
Over the course of two days, Myers and Mosley planned the robbery and murder of Back at his home on Corwin Road. Initially intending to poison Back, Myers and Mosley ultimately strangled and stabbed Back to death as he pleaded with them to save his life, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
Myers and Mosley then loaded Back’s body into the trunk of their car and drove around for several hours before dumping the body in Preble County. Before leaving the area, Myers fired two shots into Back’s lifeless body using a gun he had stolen from Back’s residence.
“Detective Barger’s and Detective Wyatt’s extraordinary professional competence led to the detention and ultimate arrests of Myers and Mosley literally just minutes after they had returned home from committing this horrific crime,” Fornshell said in a release.
In October 2014, a unanimous jury convicted Myers of aggravated murder and other charges. He was sentenced to death.
As part of a plea agreement, Mosley pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in return for testifying against Myers and received a sentence of life without parole.
“Arguably, numerous sheriff’s office personnel that investigated this case could have rightfully received this award,” Fornshell said. “However, Detectives Barger and Wyatt spent countless hours from the moments after Justin was murdered through the end of the trial to achieve justice on behalf of Justin Back.”
The Errol D. Butt Award — named after the long-time officer and former chief investigator for the prosecutor’s office who succumbed to cancer in 2004 — is given annually to the law enforcement officer or firefighter who best exemplifies the late officer’s service to the local community.
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