State's Attorney David Stanton remembers the late Tim Russell

Editor's Note: There are a lot of things to say about the life of Perry County special investigator Tim Russell. Above all others, Perry County State's Attorney David Stanton has found the right words at the right time to accurately and eloquently convey what Tim Russell's career was about. His funeral is Friday.

"Tim Russell was a truly unique and gifted person. He used his gifts, his steadfast fortitude and his never give in attitude in service to others as the premier law enforcement officer in our area for over 40 years.

"My morning devotion the day after Tim's death was entitled 'True Greatness is Found in Serving Others.' The devotion was based upon Mark 10:35-45. There was a quote within the devotion from Martin Luther King, Jr. that captured my thoughts that day on Tim Russell.

"It read, 'Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.' Tim's life choice of service to others in Vietnam and as a police officer reflected his intolerance of injustice and an innate disdain for bullies.

"Even though Tim was the heart and soul of our investigative team, he always maneuvered himself to stay out of the limelight. He didn't ever seek the credit or fame for success, and instead would prefer to remain in the background. Tim felt that notoriety for investigators and for himself only served to further injure victims as their lives were played out in the media and it made our job more difficult the next time.

"He did not want to re-hurt or increase the pain of victims and he didn't want to educate criminals in law enforcement investigation techniques.

"Another thing that exemplified his uniqueness, and is quite odd within the ranks of law enforcement is that he almost never carried a weapon. Tim had no desire to harm another person. He would only agree to be armed for the purpose of protecting other law enforcement officers during times of danger.

"We all need to know and understand that Tim Russell's service to protect the safety of our citizens and to bring justice to those injured by criminal conduct cost him and his family greatly.

"It is too late to tell Tim how much we appreciated him, trusted him and counted on him. It is not too late to tell Joan, Josh and Brandon that we are grateful to them for their sacrifice in giving Tim the latitude to serve the people of Perry County, Illinois."