Our Team of Investigators
The team of professionals who make up the heart and soul of Gradoni & Associates’ investigation team are professionals with diverse backgrounds that can handle any investigatory assignment. Learn more about our team of detectives by reviewing their brief bios.
Our Team of Expert Consultants
Wayne Kessler has retired from actively working cases on a daily basis with Gradoni & Associates, but he does consult on major cases, provide expert opinions, and interview high-profile targets related to our Case Investigations.
Wayne Kessler
Wayne Kessler is a 38-year law enforcement veteran. Wayne’s career involved 8 years in patrol as both an officer and shift supervisor and 30 years in criminal investigations.
Wayne was assigned on six different occasions to the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and later served 18 months assigned to the Houston Violent Offenders Task Force.
During this period, Wayne arrested two Texas Top Ten fugitives.
Wayne was later assigned to the Galveston County Organized Crime Control Unit, working on a number of high-profile cases.
Wayne is most proud of his seven years with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department as a Homicide Investigator. Wayne was assigned a number of high-profile cases and is recognized for solving the kidnapping and murder of Kelly Sykes from a Galveston street by identifying the two suspects involved, resulting in convictions, although Sykes’ body was never found.
Wayne coordinated the first major body search effort in the 1986 Shelley Sykes kidnapping case, which involved 600 volunteers who searched areas covering Bacliff and San Leon, but sadly Shelley’s body was never recovered. Wayne’s efforts, however, resulted in the arrest and conviction of John King and Gerald Zwarst for Aggravated Kidnapping. After two change-of-venue trials, both were convicted of aggravated kidnapping and sentenced to Life in prison.
Wayne was also the lead investigator on the Timothy Gribble Capital Murder case. Gribble had raped and murdered a prominent Clear Lake Shores resident after performing maintenance on her residence. Wayne tracked Gribble to Newbern, TN, where he was arrested and brought back to Texas. After two Capital trials, Gribble was sentenced to death.
In 1996, Wayne became a Federal Agent with the Department of Veterans Affairs and worked a myriad of cases, including employee misconduct, pension and benefits fraud, narcotics, and homicide. Wayne received numerous awards and commendations, including two Assistant Inspector General awards, which were presented in Washington, D.C.
After 9 years of Federal service, Wayne reached mandatory retirement age and retired from the Government. Wayne’s last tour of duty was with the Santa Fe, TX Police Department, where he was a detective for four years and was then promoted to Captain, second in command of the 22-man department.