Cowley County Undersheriff Don Read announced late Wednesday afternoon that Bill Mueller ? a former KBI and FBI agent ? has agreed to serve as his undersheriff if Read is elected sheriff.
"I gave the decision a great deal of thought as did Bill when I approached him with the request that he consider acting as my undersheriff," Read said. "He was the logical and obvious choice for the position. Bill has had a distinguished career in law enforcement and is respected throughout the law enforcement community, not just in Cowley County but across the state of Kansas."
Mueller worked for the KBI 24 years before retiring and coming to the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office where he has led investigations, Read said.
Mueller obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a law degree from Washburn University in Topeka. While in law school he worked as a deputy for the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and subsequently for the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office.
In 1969, he entered active duty as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Air force and served as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
After military service, he joined the FBI as a special agent and served approximately four and one-half years in Houston. He left the FBI in 1978 and went to work as a special agent with the KBI.
"Bill Mueller’s professionalism, hard work, and knowledge in the criminal justice field are well known," he said. "His honesty, integrity and ethics are beyond reproach. His sense of duty and concern for the citizens of Cowley County and the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office are sincere and obvious as?is evident by the amount of hours and effort he puts into his work serving Cowley County.
"He is respected by every officer, not only in the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office but all of Cowley County," Read said. "I am extremely happy to have him agree to serve as my undersheriff and be part of a team dedicated to "Serve and Protect with Integrity" the citizens of Cowley County should I be elected as their next sheriff."
Read is running on the Republican ticket. Randy Emerson, a former police officer who is currently managing the Winfield Housing Authority, is also running for sheriff on the Republican ticket.
One of the two candidates will be eliminated during the Aug. 5 primary election. The winner will run unopposed in the November general election.
