J. Warner Wallace

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J. Warner Wallace
JWarnerWallace.jpg
BornJames Warner Wallace
(1961-06-16) June 16, 1961 (age 63)
Torrance, California, U.S.
Occupation Homicide detective, Christian apologist, author, pastor
Alma mater California State University at Long Beach
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sheriff's Academy
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
Subject Christian apologetics
Website
coldcasechristianity.com

James Warner Wallace (born June 16, 1961) is an American homicide detective and Christian apologist. Wallace is a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) in La Mirada, California. He has authored several books, including Person of Interest,Cold-Case Christianity,God's Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, in which he allegedly applies principles of cold case homicide investigation to apologetic concerns such as the existence of God and the reliability of the Gospels. He has been featured as a cold case homicide expert on Fox 11 Los Angeles, truTV (formerly Court TV), and NBC.

Contents

Life and work

Wallace was born in Torrance, California. He graduated from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Explorer Academy in 1978 (earning the Honor Cadet award). From there he went on to pursue a career in the arts, earning a bachelor's degree in design from California State University at Long Beach and a master's degree in architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [1] In 1988, Wallace returned to law enforcement, attending the Los Angeles Sheriff's Academy as a recruit for the Torrance Police Department (graduating again as the Honor Cadet). During his law enforcement career, Wallace served in a number of assignments, including the Metro Unit, Gang Detail, SWAT, Special Investigations Division, and Robbery / Homicide. He was also one of the founding members of the Torrance Police Department's Cold-Case Homicide Unit.

Investigative work

J. Warner Wallace first began investigating cold-case homicides as a collateral interest while assigned to his agency's Special Investigations Division. He applied a technique known as Forensic Statement Analysis [2] to the transcripts of a confession from an early suspect in the 1972 murder of Teri Lynn Hollis. [3] [4] This case had been suspended and was unassigned, and the suspect had been eliminated in 1974 (despite his confession) due to what was considered exculpatory evidence at the time. [5] [6] Wallace re-examined this exculpatory evidence along with the suspect’s statement and agreed the confession was false, concluding the suspect was not involved in the murder. Wallace retained an interest in the case, however, and eventually carved time to examine every piece of evidence collected over the years. During this process, Wallace discovered a previously unknown biological evidence sample. Believing this sample contained DNA from the true killer, Wallace submitted the evidence to the CODIS database for sexual offenders. [7] It failed to match anyone in the national registry, and the case remained unsolved until ancestry DNA technology became available to the agency in 2017. [8] [9]

During this period, Wallace continued to investigate cold-cases as a collateral duty while assigned to the Intelligence Detail and the Robbery Desk. Two of these cases were eventually solved and the suspects were convicted. The collateral success of these cases led the Torrance Police Department to form a full-time Cold-Case Homicide Detail. Wallace was selected as one of two founding members. His cases have been featured on Dateline (NBC) [10] and North Mission Road (truTV).

Wallace earned the Sustained Superiority Award from the South Bay Police and Fire Medal of Valor committee. [11] In 2015 the Cold Case Investigation Unit of the Torrance Police Department won the California Peace Officer Association COPSWEST Award for best solved cold case. [12]

Conversion to Christianity

In 1996, Wallace became a Christian at the age of 35, after investigating the gospels as potential eyewitness accounts to the life of Jesus using his detective expertise. [13] Wallace attended and eventually joined the staff of Saddleback Church. He later enrolled in the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary master's program in theological studies, while serving as a youth pastor at Rock Hills Church and later as a lead pastor for an organization called the Rising Tide.

Christian apologetics

Wallace began applying the principles of cold-case homicide investigation to Christian apologetics. He has written six books addressing the evidence for Christianity: Person of Interest,The Truth in True Crime, Cold-Case Christianity, Alive, God's Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith. Wallace has been a guest on a number of television programs, including The 700 Club (CBN), [14] Praise The Lord (TBN), [15] 100 Huntley Street (Crossroads), [16] [17] He has spoken on several radio broadcasts, including The Laura Ingraham Show,The Eric Metaxas Show [18] ,The Janet Mefferd Show [19] , and In the Market with Janet Parshall [20] .

Books

Television and movies

Wallace has appeared in several television productions and news broadcasts. His cold cases have been featured on Dateline (NBC). [10] he has also been featured on North Mission Road (TruTV, formerly CourtTV). He appeared several times as a homicide consultant on Behind the Screams (Reelz Network). Wallace has hosted a weekly television show, Cold-Case Christianity (NRBtv),and appeared in God's Not Dead 2 (PureFlix).

Dateline appearances

Personal life

Wallace is married to Susie who has been his co-author and editor. They have four children and live in Southern California. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 Wallace, J. Warner (May 11, 2012). "About the Author - J. Warner Wallace". Cold Case Christianity. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ "A Homicide Detective Investigates the Gospels (J. Warner Wallace)".
  3. ↑ "Daily Breeze Article".
  4. ↑ "Daily Breeze Article".
  5. ↑ "The San Bernardino County Sun".
  6. ↑ "Daily Breeze Article".
  7. ↑ "Combined DNA Index System (Wikipedia Article)".
  8. ↑ "ABC article".
  9. ↑ "CNN article".
  10. 1 2 "Jim Wallace", Nbc.news, Retrieved 2015-11-03. Archived September 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Resolution No. 2012-42", City Council, City of Torrance, California. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  12. ↑ "2015 Best of COPSWEST Winners." Archived November 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Cpoa.org, Retrieved 2015-11-02.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "'Cold-Case Christianity': The Gospel Through a Homicide Detective's Lens", Christian Post, May 7, 2013. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  14. ↑ "Investigating the Truth of the Gospel", CBN. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  15. ↑ "J. Warner Wallace on TBN With Rice Brooks", YouTube, April 7, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  16. ↑ "Investigating the Supernatural", 100 Huntley Street. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  17. ↑ "The Leon Show", TBN, June 25, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-03. Archived March 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "J. Warner Wallace Guest Appearances on the ERic Metaxas Show". June 2, 2024.
  19. ↑ "J. Warner Wallace on the Janet Mefferd Show". June 2, 2024.
  20. ↑ "J. Warner Wallace on In The Market with Janet Parshall". June 2, 2024.
  21. ↑ J. Warner Wallace. Cold-Case Christianity, January 1, 2013, David C. Cook, ISBN   1-434-70469-6
  22. ↑ J. Warner Wallace. God's Crime Scene, August 1, 2015, David C. Cook, ISBN   1-434-70784-9
  23. ↑ J. Warner Wallace, Forensic Faith, May 1, 2017, David C. Cook, ISBN   1434709884
  24. ↑ Warner Wallace, J. (March 2014). Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection. ISBN   978-1434707444.
  25. ↑ Warner Wallace, J.; Wallace, Susie; Suggs, Rob (2016). Cold-case Christianity for Kids: Investigate Jesus with a Real Detective. David C. Cook. ISBN   978-0781414579.
  26. 1 2 Warner Wallace, J.; Wallace, Susie; Suggs, Rob (2017). God's Crime Scene for Kids: Investigate Creation with a Real Detective. David C Cook. ISBN   978-1434710321.
  27. ↑ Warner Wallace, J. (September 21, 2021). Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible. Zondervan. ISBN   978-0310111276.
  28. ↑ Wallace, J. Warner (2024). The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life (First ed.). Zondervan. ISBN   0310111374.
  29. ↑ "Deadly Triangle on Peacock".
  30. ↑ "The Night Before Halloween on Peacock".
  31. ↑ "Secrets in the Mist on Peacock".
  32. ↑ "The Wire on Dateline". NBC News .
  33. ↑ "The Threat Preview on Dateline". NBC News .
  34. ↑ "The Murder of Teri Hollis". NBC News .
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