Patrick J. Zirpoli

Senior Investigator

Patrick began his career 34 years ago within the law enforcement industry as a Correctional Officer with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, he ultimately joined the Pennsylvania State Police, from which he retired in January of 2015. Throughout his career with the state police, he worked primarily in the area of criminal investigation specializing in homicide investigation, cold case homicide investigation, child abduction, child abuse and missing persons. Patrick’s last duty assignment was as the Unit Supervisor of the Pennsylvania State Police, Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit. He was responsible for the coordination of a statewide Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, which specialized in crimes of a violent or serial nature. Patrick also coordinated the efforts of the State Police in cold case homicide investigations across Pennsylvania. He supervised and participated in the investigation and analysis of crime assessments relating to homicides, suspicious deaths, and equivocal deaths on a statewide basis. Furthermore, he served as the Pennsylvania Amber Alert and the Missing Endangered Persons Advisory System Coordinator. During his tenure as the Amber Alert Coordinator, he worked on numerous child abduction cases throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Patrick represented the Pennsylvania State Police as a subject matter expert in the fields of Crime Scene Assessment, Criminal Behavior, Homicide Investigation, Equivocal Death Analysis, Cold Case Homicide Investigation, Child Abduction, Child Abuse, Interview and Interrogation, Sexual Assault Investigation, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act, and have since taken his experience and expertise into the classroom as both a teacher and a coordinator.

Along with his experience in the field, he served as the Training Coordinator for the Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit. Patrick has had the opportunity to create multiple courses in various subjects, including Crime Assessment, Homicide Investigation, Equivocal Death Analysis, Cold Case Homicide Investigation, Child Death Investigation, Sexual Assault Investigation, Amber Alert/Child Abduction, Missing and Endangered Persons Investigations, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act. These courses have been taught to law enforcement agencies and related groups throughout the United States and internationally. He has been a guest lecturer for the FBI at the Violent Crime Seminar, as well as a lecturer at numerous professional conferences, to include the American Academy of Forensic Science Conference.

Patrick has also provided expert testimony in his areas of expertise. Most recently he was recognized by the Indiana Supreme Court as an expert in Crime Scene Reconstruction, Crime Scene Assessment and Unsolved Homicide Investigation.