Deputy U.S. Marshal, 42
Why he's interesting: Since he took the post last January, Siler has become Northeast Ohio's premier fugitive hunter. A one-man cold case unit, the Northeast Ohio native specializes in tracking down escapees who have been on the run for decades, such as The Shawshank Redemption fugitive Frank Freshwaters who was captured in Florida after 56 years on the run.
Life of Service: Before he took a job with the U.S. Marshals Service in 2001, Siler was a Marine. After a tour in Japan, he was stationed with America's most iconic helicopter, Marine One, during the Clinton administration. "President Clinton was one of those guys that just grabbed you, you instantly liked him. I remember the first time seeing him walk toward the helicopter and saluting him as he walked on, thinking, This is the coolest thing ever."
Case Law: Working a cold case requires using traditional investigative skills in a different way. Many fugitives who have managed to evade law enforcement for years or even decades have built up entire lives — each unique. It's Siler's job to build a profile through interviews with family members and combing through records. "Each person is different. Going into their entire history, you're trying to develop a pattern of life."
Picture Perfect: Perhaps the highest-profile case Siler has closed so far is that of Frank Freshwaters. Within months of taking the 56-year-old case, Siler caught up with Freshwaters in Florida. Brevard County sheriff's deputies verified Freshwaters' identity by asking him if he recognized a photo of his younger self. "That was a lot of good police work with the guys on the ground. We identified him pretty quick, but to be able to confirm who he was, was what took the longest time. We knew where he was, and we were trying to make sure we had the right guy."
At Large: Of all Siler's cold cases, one is particularly icy: Ted Conrad. In 1969, the 20-year-old bank teller walked out of the Society National Bank on Public Square with $215,000 in a paper bag. He disappeared into the wind, confounding generations of investigators. "I think he's enjoying his life. I think he's married. I think he's had children, and I think they don't know. I know he's still alive."
Old Sport: "I play baseball with a bunch of old men in an old man league. I'm a shortstop. I play football on Sunday mornings with a bunch of old men like we're still kids, 19 or 20 years old."
