Baecker discovered the lost wedding ring of Sgt. Brian Dulle, the sheriff’s deputy killed in a high-speed chase last week, and had it returned to his widow, Abbie Dulle, on the day of Dulle’s funeral. He and two others were honored Friday by the Warren County Sheriff Larry Sims.
Dulle was killed instantly when a 2001 Cadillac — traveling an estimated 100 mph — struck him as he stood in a grassy area near his police cruiser.
“It doesn’t matter who found the ring,” Baecker said. “What matters is the ring was found.”
Franklin mail carrier Charles Otis began the search for the missing ring on Friday, May 13. An amateur treasure hunter, Otis felt compelled to begin the search because he had a son who is a Franklin firefighter. Friday evening’s search was fruitless, so Otis contacted members of the Dayton Diggers, a 30-member group of amateur treasure hunters who search for valuables using metal detectors. Baecker said he received the call Saturday afternoon and immediately began to search.
“A ring is one of the hardest things to find,” Otis said. He said the ring was made of tungsten, a metal neither he nor Baecker were familiar with.
“Finding silver is easy,” Baecker said. “Gold is a little more difficult, but I know how to look for it. I didn’t even know what tungsten looked like.”
Baecker said other searchers had cleared a lot of debris out of the way by the time he began his search, which made his hunt easier.
Sweepers the night before had started uncovering “fresh” pocket change, which they believed had come out of Dulle’s pocket. After an hour and a half of searching, Baecker uncovered more of the change and used it to guide him to the ring, which he said was partially buried.
Baecker said he was stunned when he found the ring, comparing the experience to the first rare coin he found.
Baecker was aided by members of Warren County Judge Joseph Kirby’s family, who, after seeing his motives were good, were able to text Sims’s wife about the discovery, who relayed the message in turn to the sheriff. Sims quickly dispatched a deputy to retrieve the ring, while Baecker’s wife placed it in a small jewelry box.
“We handed it to the deputy and he started to weep, then we all lost it,” Baecker said.
“There has been an enormous outpouring of support not only from the law enforcement but from the citizens of Warren County as well,” Sims said. “Sometimes you forget how a tragedy like this impacts the entire community.”
Also honored at the ceremony was Liz Tatterson, an 89-year-old woman who walked close to a half hour to witness the funeral.
“He laid down his life to keep me safe,” Tatterson said. “How could I not go? I can’t say anymore or I’ll cry.”
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