Brian Hargrove is well-known in law enforcement circles for his years of work as a crime scene specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
During his career, he has helped solve complex murder cases in 11 counties throughout central Georgia. He has also testified many times in courtrooms throughout the eight-county Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit, and in other jurisdictions as well.
And in every case, his hard work and keen eye for detail, has been the pursuit of justice and helping take the person or people responsible for certain crimes off the streets, and to see them behind bars after they have been convicted.
The 42-year-old Hargrove was recently promoted to assistant agent in-charge of the GBI Region 6 Office in Milledgeville.
Hargrove began his career in law enforcement in September 1999, starting out as a jailer in with the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office in Milledgeville.
He was hired by longtime Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee.
I spent three months working in the jail, said Hargrove during a recent interview with The Union-Recorder. And then in January, I went to Police Academy. The sheriff then put me on the road patrol as a deputy.
Hargrove worked as a deputy for less than two years before he was promoted to detective with the local sheriff's office.
I worked under some really good people, Hargrove recalled, noting that they included former Detective Lt. Bobby Langford and Jimmy Josey, chief of detectives for several years. I learned a lot from both of those men.
Hargrove later worked general investigation cases, as well as specialized cases related to child crimes. He then began working drug investigations along with Brad King, who recently was promoted to the rank of major overseeing all criminal investigations at the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office.
Hargrove and King remain good friends today.
I really learned so much from Brad King, Todd Crosby, Bobby Langford, Jimmy Josey and Bill Massee, Hargrove said. Thats who I learned from.
Hargrove worked as a detective at the sheriffs office from 2002 until 2007.
While working in criminal investigations at the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office, Hargrove earned his criminal justice degree in 2006 after attending classes at both Georgia Military College and Georgia College.
Shortly after Hargrove earned his degree, he was recruited by Joe Wooten, who at the time was a special agent with the GBI Region 6 Office.
He was with the drug task force at the time, Hargrove said of Wooten. So, I applied with the GBI and was hired as a special agent.
Hargrove attended agent school right away.
The first assignment Hargrove held with the GBI was working with the Macon Regional Drug Enforcement Office.
I worked dope cases right here in Milledgeville and Baldwin County from 2007 until 2010, Hargrove said. And then in 2010, I transferred to the field and worked under Special Agent Tom Davis, another one that I learned a lot from.
Hargrove investigated criminal cases before deciding that he wanted to specialize in the field of solving crimes.
Hargrove and Todd Crosby, a long time crime scene specialist with the GBI and former road patrol sergeant with the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office under Massee, got to know one another better even though the two men had known each other for years.
I respected Todd immensely, Hargrove said.
As GBI agents, Hargrove said he worked a lot of cases with Crosby.
I probably learned more from Todd than anybody the reason being is that I came over here and worked in field investigations for about two years, Hargrove said.
In 2011, the GBI establish a second crime scene specialist position within the Milledgeville office.
Right away, Hargrove said he thought to himself that expressing an interest in that position was what he wanted to do.
I actually walked down the hall and into Toms (Davis) office and asked him if I could do it, and of course, he told me he would take it under advisement, Hargrove said. A couple of days later, he called me back down to his office and said, If you want it, youve got it, well make it happen.
Hargrove began working as a crime scene specialist in October 2011.
Crime scene investigation interested me a lot, Hargrove said.
He added that he also was intrigued by how much Crosby was well respected by his colleagues.
Immediately, I saw an opportunity and I knew right then that I could do one of two things, Hargrove said. You can either wait for an opportunity to happen and take it when it comes or wait around and it could pass you by.
Looking back at his decision, it couldnt have been more pleasing.
I knew that decision was a no-brainer, Hargrove said, noting that he also knew that he would receive the best knowledge of anyone hes ever known in crime scene investigations.
In fall 2012, Hargrove attended National Forensics Academy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
For the next five years, Hargrove and Crosby worked together full-time as crime scene specialists in the 11 counties covered by the Region 6 GBI Office in Milledgeville.
I had the unique opportunity of being the apprentice and being mentored by Todd for five years, Hargrove said with a big smile. I was so very fortunate to have been taught by Todd, who is a wonderful man of God. He was my mentor and were still close friends.
Hargrove said Crosby emphasized to him all the time that they were doing the Lords work.
Todd preached that regularly to me, Hargrove said. He said, Youre doing the Lords work.
Today, Crosby serves as special agent in-charge of the GBI office in Perry. He and his family still reside in Baldwin County, though.
Hargrove is married to Lisa, who works as an elementary school teacher. The couple has two children, a son, Ethan Yopp; and a daughter, Katie.
Hargrove became the senior crime scene specialist after Crosby was promoted to a supervisory position at the Perry office in 2016.
For a year and a half, Hargrove worked crime scene investigations within the 11-county GBI Region 6.
He was later joined by Crime Scene Specialist Shannon Resha.
Hargrove said one of the most valuable lessons he learned while enrolled at the National Forensics Academy was to leave no stone unturned.
Leaving any stone unturned at a crime scene could easily lead to missing something; something that could make a difference in whether or not the case was solved.
We arrest people and we go to trial where the defendant or defendants are prosecuted, Hargrove said. Thats a big part of our job, but our main job is to gather facts. Were fact-finders. If the facts show that a person is innocent, then they are innocent. And if the facts show that they are guilty, then they are arrested and tried. We simply follow the evidence in every case.
He said the word thorough is often used by the state law enforcement agency because that word covers a lot about how each case is investigated by the GBI.
Hargrove was promoted to his current position with the GBI on Nov. 16.
I was happy working crime scenes, but this is a calling from the good Lord and we do the Lords work, and wherever the Lord takes us is where we go, Hargrove said, while reflecting on his new position. If he had wanted to me a crime scene specialist for the next five years that would have been fine, too.
Now that he has been involved in his new role for a few weeks, Hargrove has learned firsthand that it isnt less stress and work.
Its just as much stress and work and oftentimes, even more so, he admits.
Hargrove contends hes not the smartest person in the world, but theres one thing he believes hes done well during his law enforcement career.
I have always surrounded myself with people that knew what they were doing.
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Hargrove promoted with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation - The Union-Recorder