The inspiration behind Detective Colton Baker

So, back to how I met Detective Barber.

My daughter Victoria played soccer on Sundays back in 2021. Her coach, Charlie Gillis, was a dispatcher for the Town of Stoughton. I discussed the book idea I had with him and he suggested I speak with a detective down at the station. He mentioned Detective Barber by name. Of course, we were on the soccer field and I didn’t write it down.

The following day I drove to the station. I asked to speak with a detective regarding a book I was working on. The front desk dispatcher said a detective wasn’t available at the moment. They asked me to leave my name and number, which I did.

I thought for sure that would be the end of it and my info would wind up in the trash. Boy, was I wrong! Later that evening, while at my daughter’s gymnastics class, my phone rang. I answered it. The voice on the other end of the line was strong and confident. He introduced himself as Detective Barber.

We spoke for a few minutes, and I explained the idea I had for my next project. He said he was interested and would love to assist in any way he could. I’d never met or spoken with an actual detective before, and I wasn’t sure what to call him. “Do I call you, Detective?” I asked. He chuckled and told me to call him Dan.

We set up a meeting for two days later, Wednesday May 19, 2021. I know the date, because Dan allowed me to record our first interview, along with every interview after. We met that evening at the station in the Media Relations room. Covid was winding down, so we still had to wear masks.

We sat down and he answered all of my questions. He explained the difference between patrol officers and detectives. He described in-depth what a detective does.

In another meeting, I told him about the different locations around town where the bodies would be discovered in the book. He even accompanied me around town to all the different locations and described in detail how he would process each crime scene. Dan is a walking wealth of information.

Dan provided me with his personal phone number. He said to text or call at any time. Not knowing his schedule, I always opted to text him. When I was working on a chapter or particular part of the book, and if I was unsure about something or had a question about how he’d handle a situation, I’d text him. I’d text him at all hours of the day and night. He’d always responded and answered with in-depth detail. Obviously, he did this when he was available. He truly was a valuable asset to the writing process.

Shortly after meeting Dan, I found out about a twelve-week Interactive Citizens Academy course the Stoughton Police Department was about to put on. I spoke with Dan, who made it possible for me to attend. It was awesome! I’ll go into more detail about the class in another blog post. Stay tuned!

During these classes, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dan’s fellow officers and a common theme emerged. He was smart, professional, and dedicated to the job. That definitely shined through when speaking with Dan.

To top things off, I was able to do a ride-a-long with Dan which was an incredible experience.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know Dan, not only as a detective, but as a friend. He shares pictures and stories of his family with me. We’ve even gone out to dinner with our wives.

Murder By Symbols would not be possible without Detective Dan Barber.

I hope Dan knows how much respect I have for him. I am both privileged and honored to call him a friend!

Being a police officer isn’t an easy job. Knowing this, I usually end my texts to Dan with four words.

Stay safe out there!

Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog. I’ll be back next month to share more about my journey and writing experiences.

Talk soon,

Ed