 Please be seated. Thank you Welcome and good afternoon My name is pastor Renee Schlepper of Twin Lakes Church in Santa Cruz and I've been asked by the families of Lauren Butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler to officiate this service and Before we begin would you please take a moment to make sure your cell phones are silenced? Thank you I have the privilege of meeting both butch and Elizabeth briefly over the years that I've been in Santa Cruz now But over the past several days, I've had the opportunity to learn much more About butch and Elizabeth and the kind of people they were and I consider it a great honor to be included in this time of remembrance and reflection and On behalf of the Baker family and the Butler Roo family and the entire Santa Cruz police department Thank you so much for coming together Here this afternoon to honor Detective Sergeant Lauren butch Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler And I'd like to thank not just the thousands that we see here in this space right now, but also the many Thousands that we saw earlier today outside as the motorcade that we were in made its way here from Santa Cruz Literally thousands of supporters We're lining the streets ranging from children to senior citizens Ranging frankly from police to hell's angels and there was every variety of people lining those streets all standing many saluting many holding flowers or signs of support and I Had the privilege of riding in one of the family limousines and I cannot begin to express to all of you the amazing embrace sensed by the families by those supporters Well Kelly Baker has chosen these verses from Psalm 46 for our invocation God is our refuge and strength a Very present help in time of trouble Therefore, we will not fear though the earth Gives way though the mountains be moved into the sea Though its waters roar and foam though the mountains tremble The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our fortress He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth He breaks the bow and shatters the spear He burns the chariots with fire Be still and know that I am God The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our fortress Let us pray our father in heaven We grieve today with the families of butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler Give them refuge and strength Be their very present help in this time of trouble And let us be your arms of love toward them May they sense today and for all the years to come Our communities deeply felt support and love for them. I Also want to pray for all law enforcement personnel. I thank you for every police officer Every firefighter every sheriff every first responder. They endanger their lives for us every day Until the day you make wars to cease to the ends of the earth Please bless them and let them sense our gratitude and Finally we pray for our community in times like this three things threaten to take over fear despair and hate and We pray today instead for our community to be filled with faith Hope and love We earnestly pray may your kingdom come and your will be done On earth as it is in heaven Amen, and now beginning our moments of Remembrance Santa Cruz police chief Kevin Vogel would like to offer his condolences to the Baker and Butler Wu families and share some some thoughts Good afternoon. My name is Kevin Vogel, and I'm the police chief for the city of Santa Cruz I'd like to start today by thanking the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office and The California Highway Patrol for standing in when we needed help the most They too are feeling this pain and stepped up to protect our community Allowing all of us the chance to grieve. I also want to acknowledge my three officers and The employee of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office who ended that tragic day By bringing butch and Elizabeth's killer to justice This is not something we have ever dealt with before in our department and For all of us the pain is still too fresh We are left to ask Will the pain ever end? How do we fill the holes in our hearts? How do we take our next step? But through this we've learned that the answers come from those around us All of you here today are showing our officers and our city what it means To be a community as we have seen once again How tight our community truly is how many big hearts there are in our midst today and How much good exists all around us We thank you for the flowers you have left The candles you have lit and the love that you have given all of us During this last most painful week You have reminded us why we serve and protect our community each and every day For that Thank you Santa Cruz Police work is not an easy job Too often we're the thin blue line between good and evil Too often we are called upon to make tough choices While remembering our training and what drives us as officers of the law Too often friends and family are burdened with sleepless nights and the fear of facing a day like today Police work however is not Just a job It's a calling For many of us the dream of being an officer started when we were kids including me Some like Beth and butch are drawn to protect their community For some police work is just the right fit for them We gather today to honor the lives of two such officers two heroes two friends Taken from us far too soon At the hands of a madman Someone sick and unstable and yet someone who would have gotten a fair shake from Elizabeth and butch Had he just given them the chance We come together today to pay tribute to two people who exemplified service Who embodied the notion that the true measure of our department is the impact we leave for those Who come after us We gather for them We gather to heal we gather to remember a mother a partner an Inspiration to all of us we gather to remember a father a husband a Mentor and a friend There are no words that can heal us no quick fixes for this pain Nor are there sayings that can ease our grief Nothing that can bring back the passion the laughter Or the light of those we have lost Nothing can replace what was taken from us But as we have all slowly come to realize over these last several days Out of the darkness of our pain Some light comes from the memories of Elizabeth and butch Remembering who they were Will help us get through this together Remembering what made each of them so spell special will help us heal Remembering why we admired them Why we love them and why we were proud to serve next to them Will make sure That they never leave our hearts to Peter Joaquin and Stella Elizabeth was so special and I'm so proud to have known her and worked alongside of her It is so rare to find someone with who has both unending compassion and an unyielding thirst for justice You know Elizabeth those traits and her skills made her an exceptional police officer But even a better friend Her tireless efforts on behalf of those who are victims of crimes Underprivileged or simply in need of an advocate Leaves a hole in our community that we can never fully replace To Elizabeth everyone was good at their core Everyone deserved a chance and a voice Her empathy was matched only by her skill as a police officer She made the victims of even the most heinous acts feel cared for while giving them the knowledge and the peace of mind That their justice would be done She loved the Santa Cruz community and that showed with every case Every challenge and everything that she did That's why she was so passionate about her work About the people she served And about her fellow police officers That was just the kind of officer she was She believed we as the police have to work hand-in-hand with our fellow citizens That we must work to solve problems together That all of us play our community in our community have a role to play in making it the kind of place We all deserve a place all of us can enjoy safely Elizabeth just wanted to make sure Santa Cruz was safe for families like hers Any way that she could She wanted a place where families can go to the beach Walk on the boardwalk Ride the roller coaster hike cook or even get some of those delicious morning buns at Kelly's bakery In remembering Elizabeth we must remember how she would right the wrongs that we face today We remember the passion and club that passion and collaboration can and must exist side by side She leaves unfinished work in our hands and we must meet This moment together We will miss her so much Peter Joaquin and Stella We thank you for sharing Elizabeth with all of us to Kelly Adam Jillian and Ashley. I don't know if butch is the first guy to wear shorts in heaven But I know he's making the angels laugh as he watches over all of us today Which was the most giving the most generous and the kindest person I have had the honor of serving alongside He taught me more things than I can count And I know that I'm not the only one here who can say that He taught me how to be the leader that I am and showed me how to enjoy my work even more Butch did everything with every ounce of who he was I'm going to miss his laughter in the halls of the police station and All of us are going to miss his counsel and his passion for the job He loved his work. He wanted the truth and he would stop at nothing to get it Butch left his mark on countless cases and always there for a younger officer or even an older one He's who I turned to when things got hard Relentless in the pursuit of the truth. He served Santa Cruz honorably and with a big smile When his son Adam joined the force He said he got glimpses of himself when he first started out and he became inspired anew Not many people after almost three decades on the force could find new excitement for their work But butch did in the wake of this tragedy all of us have a responsibility to butch To look at life the way he did and find new sources of inspiration for the work that we all do He was part of the very fabric of the Santa Cruz community Immediately recognizable and leaving behind an indelible imprint On everything he touched He founded our DUI enforcement team And he mentored and he trained our officers He was a tenacious investigator and he was even a more tenacious friend It won't be easy for us to meet the standard he set for himself or for any of us But it is enough for me To know that he believed in me and everyone here He believed in the best of us and he gave our city the best of every time he put on the uniform Kelly Adam Gillian and Ashley We will miss butch so much We'll miss his laughter and his tireless service We'll think of him when we watch our beloved San Francisco Giants When someone plays a prank and whenever anyone refuses to give up in pursuit of the truth We mourn a sister and a brother today two member members of the Santa Cruz Police Department family Two exemplars of service We mourn together as a community and as police officers Police offices are close-knit and we are tied to each other not just by our individual departments Precinct or even where we live but by the badge and what that stands for As you can tell by the size of this crowd today Many badges from all over have come to pay their respects to Elizabeth and butch Two testaments to police officers Everywhere we thank you brothers and sisters for your outpouring of support We know you are all grieving alongside of us And as we honor the lives of butch and Elizabeth today We know that this pain while terrible and seemingly unending will one day pass and That we will use the power of their memories to sustain all of us as we heal in the years to come Their memories Their legacy of service will forever be a part of this police force and Our community They devoted their lives to making Santa Cruz a safe place for our families and for the families whom they love so much The impact on our department on our city and on the law enforcement community Will last feet far beyond their years They fought to protect the rights of people they love just as hard of those that they never met They were police officers through and through and they would want us to keep fighting for Santa Cruz For the values of all of us. I love them both dearly And I will miss them Forever you have the support and the prayers of our whole our whole community Well at this time it is my honor to introduce former secretary of defense Leon Panetta Who has asked to address the families and friends of these fallen officers? Governor Brown Attorney General Harris Elected officials that are here and the police officers from Santa Cruz and throughout the state ladies and gentlemen It is an honor for me to have this opportunity To participate in this memorial and first of all Let me take the opportunity on behalf of my wife Sylvia and My son Jimmy who's a deputy DA in Monterey County and all of our family To extend our deepest condolences To the families of butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler and To the entire Santa Cruz and Central Coast community That has been so devastated by this tragedy as many of you know, I've had the opportunity of Representing Santa Cruz in the Congress for those of us Who were born and raised on the Central Coast of California? We are truly all part of one family We love our communities We love our coastline our forests our fields our very way of life We raise our children To appreciate What a special place on earth we live in and the special people Who make up the community That we're all a part of sometimes a little offbeat Sometimes a little different but always always a place where people enjoy life for what it is and share in the sense That our lives are secure and that was true for butch Baker and for Elizabeth Butler butch a 28-year veteran in the police department Call Santa Cruz a great community in which to be a cop He had empathy for everyone from victims to witnesses from worried parents To even those accused He combined a dedication to investigating crime With a casual approach and a good sense of humor butch was a Perfect fit for Santa Cruz Elizabeth graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 1996 With a degree in community studies She was bilingual She interned with Mike Rodkin when he was mayor and She worked and helped young students in the beach flats area as a cop She was a familiar sight on Pacific Avenue. She used to say that her beat was the perfect combination of crime fighting and public relations She too Was a perfect fit for Santa Cruz on that Tuesday afternoon All of this all of this was shattered by a horrific act of senseless violence the first time in history It's Santa Cruz police officers were killed in the line of duty and just as those shots Took the lives of these two fine officers those same bullets Rip the fabric of our community and Our family this is our tragedy and in many ways the healing process must and Will begin with each of us There is no way We will ever really understand What made the killer do what he did That afternoon and what can only be described As an act of execution We do know that he had a history of sexual violence both in and out of the military and For whatever reason people somehow Always looked the other way as secretary of defense I've seen firsthand The growing number of sexual assaults in the military and The growing number of suicides These are people who are in trouble Many carry the scars of war and for whatever reason These are people who did not receive the help they needed Nor were they always Prosecuted for the offenses they committed many of their friends Their relatives their buddies their superiors Look the other way And at some point Somebody pays a price these two fine officers on That Tuesday afternoon Did not look the other way they drew the line They were doing their job And they paid the ultimate price But in so doing They saved the lives of others as members of that larger Family let us pledge That in their memory We will never look the other way Like them let us commit ourselves To the responsibility of caring for one another as secretary the toughest duty. I had Was to write notes to the families of loved ones lost in battle The only words of comfort that I could find Were that their loved one gave his or her life for their country To help keep us safe and that act of selfless sacrifice By these warriors Made them forever heroes and patriots These officers that we honor today were also our warriors Fighting to keep us safe and they too Gave their lives for their community and For our family they paid the ultimate price To keep us safe Butch and Elizabeth You will forever be remembered as our heroes and our patriots and We will never never forget What you did for us God bless you God bless all of those who fight to keep us safe God bless your families and God bless America. Thank you secretary Panetta and now Kamala Harris the attorney general of California and former district attorney of San Francisco Comes to the podium to offer her words of condolence to the Baker and Butler families and To the city and County of Santa Cruz On behalf of the people of California It is an honor to join you here today It is with heavy hearts that we have come to pay tribute to two heroes Who represented the best of a most noble profession and calling? as police officers Sergeant which Baker and detective Elizabeth Butler Understood that there's no such thing as routine They realized that law enforcement requires a level of sacrifice above and beyond what is required of others They upheld their oath They carried out their duty and they gave their lives in service We mourn today for these two brave and dedicated officers who we have lost and In the midst of this pain We must remember That the ideal for which they gave everything lives on It takes a very special kind of person to get up every day put on a badge and Take on all the problems of a troubled world Most people would never even consider a career where the stakes are so high and So fraught with real danger But the men and women of law enforcement in this arena know Law enforcement is not just a career Police work is not just a job This is a calling a Noble way of life Wearing the badge is a sacred privilege earned by your vow to serve society and preserve justice You put your lives on the line You put your soul into your work You do whatever it takes to protect your community state and this nation and I want you to know that the people of the state of California appreciate the sacrifices that you make as well as the sacrifices your families make as The public face of the California Department of Justice. I run into people every day Who tell me how thankful they are For our men and women in law enforcement They tell me stories about all of you in this room The way you uplift them when they feel broken The way you empower Those who have been victimized the way you protect the innocent and defend justice and Whenever I listen to these stories and see the work you do It is clear to me that you do it without any expectation of reward or recognition and All that being said and being true Let me still take a moment on behalf of the state of California to thank you and This has been a tough few months We have come together far too often to mourn our fallen officers and You know these men and women as your friends and colleagues and to the families Who love them and feel their loss? most deeply You knew butch and Elizabeth as your brother or sister your son or daughter your father or mother or your partner in life Please know California will always remember them as heroes Heroes whose assignment here is finished But whose light will never be extinguished Because it shines forever in their children Jillian Ashley and Adam Joaquin and Stella and Because it shines forever in the men and women Who are their brothers in law enforcement and sisters in law enforcement? Thank you and now the mayor of Santa Cruz Hilary Bryant and The supervisor of the second district Zach friend two people who were on the scene really within minutes Would like to express their thoughts on behalf of the city and the County of Santa Cruz afternoon Today I speak to you as the mayor of Santa Cruz Today, I speak to you as a mother a wife a neighbor and as a friend Today, I speak to you as a witness to the love the caring and the outpouring of support That has been demonstrated by the citizens of Santa Cruz over the past 10 days Today these famed citizens are grieving together With people from all over California and indeed the United States Who have come together to honor our two fallen heroes? We've lost two wonderful friends two individuals who protected and cared for us and Who gave their lives so that we could continue to live in safety and security? And yet in our great and deep grief We are celebrating the lives of two special human beings people just like many of us Who made the commitment to live work and raise their families in Santa Cruz? Officers Baker and Butler were part of our community They chose positions in which they could use their leadership and training Skills to make our city a better place They were our neighbors and they were our friends They provided connections to bind us to each other From the moment I heard the police cars and the fire engines speeding down Center Street to answer those calls I have witnessed a groundswell of support and caring that has surrounded us our police department and our beautiful community We watched our police and fire personnel protect our citizens We saw such tremendous acts of heroism as they moved our people to safety We came together to share our common grief to shed tears and to comfort each other in our time of need We observed with pride the work of our public servants as they have managed our city over the past several days And we acknowledge the great sacrifice made by our two heroes and are inspired by their actions and their lives On behalf of all the citizens of Santa Cruz I want to offer the families of butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler and let them know that we will honor and Cherish the memories of your loved ones forever We will not forget them in Their untimely sacrifice the actions of officer Baker and Butler They were taken and their lives were all too short But it demonstrated all of us what we need to do to be good citizens We cannot bring them back However, as a community, we will move forward knowing that is what they would have wanted Santa Cruz we are so proud of our city and of our residents of our police department and our firefighters We are so grateful that we live in such a special place in this world We will honor the memories of butch and Elizabeth by taking actions That will resolve in our significant challenge that we're racing by leading responsibly to make positive change by sharing our time talents and energy to continue to build a community based upon trust and caring And by modeling for our children the duties of citizenship Thank You butch and Elizabeth Thank you for being a clear beacon for our future actions. Thank you for your great ultimate sacrifice We will be strong our work will demonstrate that we will not forget you Santa Cruz will continue to strive to be the community that you knew we could be We honor you today and always everyone handles pain differently But uh for police officers the men and women in this room there's often no time for pain There's no time for grief and there's no time for rest all of us Are in pain now especially our brave police force This has been an extraordinarily trying time in our community some of the darkest days that we've ever faced But through it all one thing has become clear that our community takes care of its own We take care of our own like our police take care of us We look out for each other and we support each other especially in times like these I've never been more proud to be a member of the Santa Cruz community And I've never been more proud to have been a part of the Santa Cruz police family I was lucky to work alongside the bravest among us including my friends butch and elizabeth For most the last decade. I was the public information officer and crime analyst of the Santa Cruz police department And I had the honor of coming to work every single day With people who are dedicated to making our community a better place people like butch and beth Who heeded the call of public service and just wanted to do right by the city they loved To those lucky enough to have known them they weren't just cops on the street To know them was to see how much they love this community How much they love their work And how much they love their families To know them was a real gift and I want to thank their families for sharing them with us Butch and beth spent their lives in search of the truth fighting for what was right Making someone feel safe or just making someone laugh They exemplified what it means to be a Santa Cruz police officer a tradition they were upholding that's over 150 years old They looked out for this community. They protected us on sunny days and dark days like the one we faced last week They've been there to keep us safe and a source of comfort They've been there for us And now it's our turn to return the favor We need to be there for them for their families and for the entire police department. This is not a snapshot in time We need to be there for the long haul for the families and the police department We really need a new beginning a rebirth in the relationship between the community and the police department a new commitment To supporting public safety in our community moving forward As the department grieves the loss of these two heroes as they get back to work As they put on their badges and uniforms each and every day as they do that we need to be their source of comfort To be their protectors And to show them how much the memories of beth and butch mean and to all of us And I know that this is something that we can do For last week I've been humbled by the show of support and love our community has shown the families The admiration and the reverence that everyone in Santa Cruz has shown to butch and beth in our department I've seen the handmade candles and flowers and gifts. I've seen strangers move to tears when they were told of the lives that they led I've seen strangers move to tears when they were told of the service That butch and beth gave us and the difference that they made in our community And I've seen law enforcement officers from all over this great state gather here to stand shoulder in shoulder with our brothers In the Santa Cruz police department. Many of you are here today And while you may wear a different uniform or a different badge, I want you to know that from today forward You are always going to be a member of the Santa Cruz police family Everyone in this room Everyone in this room is a member of the Santa Cruz police department It hurts to think of butch and beth They were my friends It hurts but yet i'm still filled with pride for the fact that I knew them and I was lucky enough to work with them And that i'm part of a community that is rallied together to give our protectors their support Part of this community that's been strong so that our officers here can breathe Part of this community that will heal over time But will never forget the lives of these two extraordinary people and the values that they bought for These values that are so precious to all of us family community and justice In that order they fought for family community and justice Like so many of you I can hear Beth and butch's distinct laugh and their voices And just like they did for thousands of others in the community. I can hear them today telling us it will be okay It'll be okay because we have risen from these ashes before we did it in 89 And we'll do it again because this is the biggest emotional earthquake that our community has ever felt in kelly And peter we will rise from these ashes again We'll do it because beth and butch need us to And want us to I hurt today. I know the community in santa cruz hurts today But butch and beth's legacy gives me true hope for tomorrow Thank you. Thank you, mayor bryant and supervisor friend And now steve clark deputy chief of the santa cruz police department would like to share some of his personal memories of butch Well, good afternoon everyone I was completely honored To be asked by the baker family to share memories of butch He was my friend. He was my colleague We were just a couple of knucklehead kids who started out in this job years ago Somehow we became the old guys in the place you know The family had one simple request from me steve Keep it light and make them laugh That's exactly what we're gonna do Because that's what but that's exactly what butch would have wanted Which had a way of taking a perfectly serious situation And somehow ruining it so that we we laughed It was just unbelievable no matter how bad the stress was or what we were going through here comes butch And he's got something funny to say Now part of the problem is is there's so many decent people here today that Exactly Exactly I've got to somehow find a way to be appropriate And you have no idea how that limited the material I have to deliver for you today Oh my And wow, you know just look at everybody here Butch would have loved this He would have been absolutely thrilled to see the drama unfold in front of him He would have just sat back with that little sort of butch cross arm Sideways dance and he would have laughed he would have loved it And you know just look at all the dignitaries governor brown attorney general Harris and secretary panetta. We are so honored That you would come and you would be a part of this in fact governor Has anybody ever told you sir that you bear a striking resemblance To me Actually butch was one of the first people who pointed that out to me. He turned to me one day He said dude, you look like the governor You know, he never said that when schwarzenegger was in office And for those of you that aren't from california dude just means hey So you know But that's you know governor. I guess the resemblance is so striking sir that last night There were a couple of people at the restaurant. I ate out and they think they took their picture with you In fact, um, there's some people who bought you coffee this morning too. I hope that's all right I want you to know I didn't leave them thinking I was really you I I told them the truth. I couldn't have people think I was the governor I told them the truth. I told them who I actually am. I said, I'm really paul schaefer with david letterman's ban uh It's good to laugh isn't it? And that's exactly what butch would have wanted today He would have wanted us to laugh. He would have wanted us to celebrate his legacy He would have wanted us to to be together and remember those good times You know butch was an amazing detective He was always looking for an angle. In fact, this guy had more angles than a math professor You know butch always seemed to somehow know When things were stirring in the police department He just had this sense about him and so as things were stirring All of a sudden You would see butch just show up somewhere in a hallway You know, it was this amazing thing something stirring things are going on There's butch You know and he had this telltale little lean that he would strike whenever he was sort of fishing for information It looks something like this And then you see him again poke his head in your door In fact, his calf got such a workout doing that That we could sort of tell the state of the department based on the size of butch's left calf as he did that And if it was really seriously got the mustache rub, right Santa Cruz guys, you know that you've seen this one that one So in fact the fact that he wore shorts allowed us to see well, what's the mood like today? How's the chief? I don't know check the calf see what it looks like I'm gonna be the first guy to cry at this podium here today You know butch uh butch had a background in the car in the car sales business and He found a way to use that with his detective skills and his intuition In fact, he would get people to confess to stuff that was it was unbelievable And he would get suspects to talk to him in a way that none of us ever could And in fact, I it wasn't until I found myself trying to buy a used car That I realized exactly what butch had been doing all these years I mean they're trying to buy a car. I felt like I was being interviewed by butch He says that's what he did. It's a car sales thing In fact, I knew that he had taken the car sales thing too far When the last suspect I transported to jail for him as we pulled up to the jail He asked he says is it too late to get the extended warranty and leather package on this confession And did you ever try to have a semi covert conversation with butch? You know occasionally in the halls of the police department We have to talk about things that are sensitive and things that are covert Butch would just kind of had this way that you needed a wind talker to help you understand, you know He would come to you, you know, and he would say something like this He would say, uh, you know, we got a couple of people and there's this thing and some stuff's got to happen You're gonna be all right with that What? You find out, well, what did he just say? And then he'd give you the lien He'd give you that too and he'd repeat it again The problem is is after working with butch for a little while you started to really understand that stuff And then you would respond like that and you found you had a whole new language that you were you were talking with and It was just hilarious because he was never really comfortable telling you these things As he leaned and and never really told you what you needed to know, but somehow told you what you needed to know It was weird And he was always in that information business You know trying to corral the curiosity of that guy made me feel like the man in the yellow hat sometimes in a curious george story he was just He was amazing. He was fun. He took that his love of nas car into How he would how he would drive the police cars on occasion All right chief you might not want to hear this Occasionally, you know every now and then we get a new model of police car and we started out with those old dodge diplomats How many of you remember those right those things that die and it sounded like dino the dinosaurs You tried to start the thing up you know but You could always tell where butch was in the city in the middle of the night Because you could hear that engine roar it'd be quiet three in the morning and all of a sudden you'd Oh butch is over on the west side Oh, there's butch on the east side now. I hear him coming He somehow transferred his love of nas car into his into his police work, which was just uniquely butch right He was butch certainly defined the word character And here's the crazy thing about butch is butch loved a practical joke But he himself never really pulled off the practical joke He was always that guy in the background that was telling you, you know, you know, you ought to Hey, why don't you you know But he loved the practical jokes and here's some of the stuff that I know that he participated in Everything from helping to finance an ad for a 6 a.m garage sale at my house Putting a co-worker's house up for sale with a local realtor while they were on vacation And then putting spinner hub caps on the investigation lieutenant's car to pimp his ride for him He was always waiting in anticipation to seize the moment and create a practical joke You know, he was like the farmer that would plant the seeds and stand back and proudly watch the crop of practical jokes sprout up around him And everybody who knew butch Knows that they've been butched at least once don't you santa Cruz? So while butch and I shared many laughs and many good times and many stories I'll never tell from this podium There was a serious side to him too So while he was fun butch and I had the opportunity to talk about The deeper things in life. We talked about who we wanted to be as men Who we wanted to be as leaders And how deeply he cared for the men and women of the santa Cruz police department We talked about his faith Talked about his religion. We talked about our beliefs You know butch and I shared a common experience Going through the post supervisor leadership institute and we talked about how profound that was on our lives things that we learned And again the men we wanted to be the leaders we wanted to be Kelly Adam Jillian and ashley He loved you so And he would talk about you often You were his kelly joe And his adam And it's jillian and it's ashley and it was so proud In fact adam when it was time to make a hiring decision for you at the police department I never saw your dad work that calf out so much doing this He was looking in my office and just wanted to know what was going on You know butch was the ultimate go-to guy He would always be there when you need him like chief bogel talked about earlier when the chips were down Butch was the guy you wanted and he would give of himself and he would sacrifice And I know that that gift that he gave us And that sacrifice was a sacrifice the family paid to You gave him to the santa cruz community and he did so much good He helped so many victims of crime He helped us that worked with him. He mentored he taught he trained He was The go-to guy No doubt about it In spite of how hard butch worked Here's one thing I know about him Is that butch understood that the only thing that he would leave behind is the influence that he has on people He could investigate the greatest case in the world or come up with the greatest policy But all that was for naught if he didn't have an influence on those around him Butch also knew how very special The men and women who choose public safety as a lifestyle were He knew the sacrifices that you pay as you head out each and every day He knew the challenges that you faced every day and he felt those and he wanted to be a better leader And he wanted to help teach train and guide through those things You see there's a bond that those of us share who do this job that just can't be matched Because of the sacrifice And the way that we give and there's a bond that our families share with us As they give and they share us as well So here we are Here we are today We find ourselves in a place that I never thought I would find myself in Eulogizing my friend butch So how do we carry on? This was a horrific tragedy One of which i'm sure we don't even know the magnitude of yet We've been so busy planning and preparing this memorial service. I'm sure there's many of us Who worked tirelessly through this Who the full effect of this hasn't yet hit us? And we'll fill that And for those of you that have offered your comfort and your love we will lean on that In the weeks and the months ahead as we find a way to get through this One of the things I shared with butch was a book written by a friend of mine, Dave Curie Dave is a POW in the Hanoi Hilton in the vietnam war and One of the things that I had the opportunity to ask Dave was Dave That was a terrible experience. How did you get through this? How did you in your your people get through this much like we're experiencing a terrible thing now? And Dave said well, we had one simple motto And that motto was just return with honor Wow return with honor What a simple concept, but yet so meaningful So what do we go from here? Many of you have come here to sit today to say that you wanted to honor the legacy of butch and elizabeth Well, I would just challenge you that if you want to honor that that you do all that you do So that you can return with honor To anyone that hears my words today The challenge to you is that you live your life and you do the things that you do So that you can at the end of the day say that you will return with honor It doesn't matter if you're law enforcement or not Do what you do so that you return with honor at the end of the day And for the public safety people here, I want to speak to you for a second butch and elizabeth demand Their sacrifice demands That you do your job You live your life You carry out in such a way that you honor the very fine legacy That they've left the thing that they paid the ultimate sacrifice for For what you still get to do every single day I don't care what kind of call for service you're on case you investigate case you bring before the court You hear if you're a judge You do that in such a way that at the end of the day you say that you can return with honor You want to honor their legacy? That's exactly how you do it Do what you do today so that you can return with honor and honor that sacrifice Finally Here's what I know about life None of us None of us are getting out of this alive Right We'll all find ourselves some day In the place where butch and elizabeth find themselves The day will come when our days are done here and we are summoned back to our maker So what I would ask of you With that in mind is that each of you Would live your life in such a way So that when you return to the father And you return to our maker That you can do that with honor Because when you show up at those pearly gates You're going to see butch there and he's going to be doing that lean And he'll be so excited to tell you what he's discovered Because you know, he's probably in the information business up there as well Thank you Thank you governor brown I mean deputy chief clark at this time. I'd like to invite elizabeth's sister Alexis to share a few words about elizabeth and following her elizabeth's long time partner And father of elizabeth's beloved children peter woo will also share Hello I am speaking to you today Because I would like to share a few of the many joyful moments in beth's life And in so doing I would like for her to be remembered for more than the final tragedy I am a lexus butler Elizabeth butler's older sister and I'm also a film teacher at culver city high school in southern california A month ago I indulgently booked a hotel room at cavio point in sausalito And I also bought two tickets to a wine tasting dinner at the headland center for the arts Then My mom louise and I Devised a plan that she would babysit for stalin and walkie While beth and I had a sister's valentines together Beth was hesitant at first because this would be the first time she had left her sons overnight Beth was the kind of person who had also never left her 11 year old dog in a kennel So this was a big deal I was a little worried that I would have to come up with another valentine's date on short notice But after some encouragement and probably the allure of a good night's sleep She agreed Looking back It's as if time expanded that weekend I remember how beth miraculously arrived early and met me inside the airport Seeing her walking diagonally towards me was like seeing myself in a mirror Just for a moment I remember the feeling of her whisking me away into the city and feeling safe as she took control Beth liked to be in charge And I had long since relinquished control when beth was driving The sun was out and people were sunning themselves in delores park She of course took me immediately to eat a tartine bakery In san francisco and she insisted that we buy a lemon tart after a massive lunch Beth really enjoyed eating I expected in the slideshow of her pictures That every photo would include her with a piece of food in front of her I'm glad the scpd included some photos of her in uniform in between the meals Beth caught me up to speed on a recent reunion. She had had the week prior with her college roommates These four women Sierra Lynn Adriana and beth had maintained friendships and followed each other's busy lives for almost 20 years Since the days when they had slept in two bunk beds in a dorm room at ucsc How lucky they are that they caught hold of each other that weekend Beth wanted to show me a neighborhood She wished that my mom and I would move to to be closer to her We drove to what seemed to be the highest peak in the city to the top of buena vista park It is here that we plan to eat the lemon tart and she would open the birthday presents that I had brought her Beth would have turned 39 on march 16th After our first bite beth received a police call It was important I sat looking over the golden gate bridge and her voice became brisk She waved away the dessert She was authoritative and without notes. She relayed violent, excuse me. She relayed vital information about a recent investigation My sister was transformed and she was proud about a successful interview She had conducted with an eyewitness who had been scared to speak Beth had always had a persuasive way with words and she was always able to turn me in any debate I'm amused by the thought that our sibling rivalry helped to shape the competitive investigative spirit of my little sister She loved to win a game She loved to solve a mystery At cavio point we took advantage of the spa And we sat on the wooden benches in the women's sauna As beads of water dripped in the ethereal steam room steam filled room She relaxed We dressed up for dinner side by side and we were girly together. We blow dried our hair We curled our hair And we tried all of the free products at the spa Beth was stunning at a party In heels. She was the first woman to be noticed She was tall She was soft She was willowy She always gave herself permission to party She loved to dance At the dinner we zeroed in we chose the couple that we wanted to sit by She answered their innocent queries About the life of a female police officer and I listened intently Excuse me Because it is so interesting to hear the story of someone that you know already What does a police officer do? I should know these things Yet through their polite questions, I learned that she loved her career That she would remain in the police force The sound of cruise police department for years to come That she cared for victims And felt that she and police everywhere were doing work that is valuable She revealed to the lovely pregnant couple next to us That she wished more women would be police officers In turn, they assured her that taking a night off from her toddlers would be okay And that once they had taken the leap with their firstborn They were hooked That weekend contains Hundreds more illuminating snapshots of our lives as sisters We were so near to one another and yet so busy with our own lives as teacher and cop That weekend we also went to sky park. We hiked in Henry Cowell. We cuddled with Joaquin and Stella She made us all a fabulous Italian linguine and fresh clam dinner We watched the Wiggles for the millionth time Which is one thing I might regret Elizabeth Butler made life fun instead of a chore I did not realize that that simple weekend would be our last But it like every other moment represents the fullness of her life Mind and heart at full capacity She was my valentine She was breath of fresh air in the lives of so many Please know this And like her remember to celebrate your families And your friends as they radiate around you And like her embrace even your only your own daily struggles for justice Remember to celebrate these small moments of joy as a tribute to elizabeth Thank you. I would now like to introduce Peter Wu Elizabeth's partner And the father of Joaquin and Stella Wu This is our kid Joaquin and over there granny She sleeps Stella Joaquin would you like to say hi? Hi Thank you very much For your heartfelt support It means so much to us To our family at this time of great pain Elisabeth My love Our boys loving mom Now her life has ended Yet She will live on in spirit Through people she had known and touched The life And the time I spent with her Would not be in vain I want to share with you a vow That I whispered to her As I view her body I whispered to her That I would take care of our boys And make sure They would always Know what a great person Their mom was I promise that Her sons would grow up To be upright To be gentle And to be loving In times of uncertainty And frustration In the future I will ask myself How would Beth handle this? Her memory will surface my guiding light Her legacy Will be carry on in our family In our sons And in the people they will touch She will live on I miss you so much Beth We will miss you so much Goodbye my love Thank you so much Peter Alexis And now Members of Butch's family Butch's daughter Gillian Would like to read a poem And she will be accompanied by her brother Adam I knew I wanted to say something To represent my dad The amazing husband and father that he was I was struggling with the right words When I found a card That I had written for him several years ago on Father's Day June 18th 2005 Daddy Happy Father's Day And what a father you have been Describing how you have helped me Well it's next to impossible You have done so much just so I could be happy You have fought for me, cared for me, and put my safety first Above all, you have taught me how to be I have achieved my goals because of you You taught me that when I fall I must get up You have always led by example I know it was difficult for you this year Physically and mentally But you handled it with grace and dignity You always fight for the good and the morally right I recognize this and shoot to do the same You have always given me something to strive for If I had to pick one word for you it would be integrity Because though it's difficult for you to sometimes stand against the norm You do and have made such a difference in people's lives because of it For everything you do you're underappreciated Some of the reason is me I know I can be a pain But I have always admired you Just as some would admire God You are the very reason there is good in my life Because early on you made sure of it I can't imagine my life any different because of everything we have gone through pulled us closer And made us believe in one another And the power of a family Daddy, I love you more than you will ever know It's not long until I'm off and doing everything I have ever wanted to do Every day I'll carry the values Morals Ethics and lessons that you instilled on me early on So thank you daddy And today celebrate yourself. There's so much to love Love always Jill Thank you. Jillian. Thank you, Adam And now I'd like to invite capitola police chief Rudy Escalante Rudy knew butch for many many years And he's been asked by the family to share a few words about His life both personally and professionally with butch. And so now capitola police chief Rudy Escalante Good afternoon After I was so humbly honored by kelly baker and asked to speak at this beautiful memorial I began to immediately reflect on my 28 year relationship with sergeant butch baker We worked together since 1985 Collaborating on too many projects to count My last two years with the Santa Cruz police department. I was his supervisor in the investigation section Fortunately for accountability purposes and to keep me out of hot water Our offices were right next to each other This gave me a unique opportunity Each morning to gauge how my day was going to be If his office was trashed and if I know butch it still is It meant three things One butch worked extremely late on some wild case Or he was trying to play catch up on an evaluation or task that was overdue And he would not be coming into the office until noon Two when he did arrive as mentioned earlier He would act like a car salesman describing all the good reasons for the overtime and how he was going to save me And lastly I had to get hold of kelly as soon as possible To get butch back in the office and clean it up Before the chief saw it went ballistic on me But to know butch this was typical and this is what made him so special But I have to say when the chips were down and it was time to put on those big boy pants He answered the call for duty every single time His level of commitment to the profession and to the highest degree of service possible Was steadfast His standard of doing the right thing was extremely important Butch felt it was his responsibility to hold everyone to a higher standard of performance for the organization first than for professional pride Kelly asked me to share some of the funny happenings that butch and I went through over the early years of our careers And as I began to reflect I realized that more often than not I was the one getting in trouble or doing something mischievous As mentioned butch would stand from the sidelines laughing As his part in any given prank was always very minimal Just enough to keep him out of the sergeant's office and avoid the chewing out session that the rest of us went through One example was when we placed a cube of lemburger cheese understand sergeant andy crane's patrol car seat While the rest of the shift including butch kept andy busy having coffee for almost two hours The prank worked the patrol car was never the same And it seems the infamous lemburger incident has been adopted an historical name within the department is the cheesing And after 27 years, I'm going to finally admit this day That I had the extra key to the sergeant's car that allowed us to sneak in the car So instead of throwing myself under the bus any further I felt the responsibility to share with you all the great character qualities Of a man that I truly admired And enjoyed every single day Well, I know these funny stories exist from agency to agency I feel that it is important for me to share with you why I have been truly blessed to have butch baker as part of my life Not everyone Was as fortunate as I to enjoy his laughter his outgoing personality his caring charm His willingness to do for others and just an all around remarkable human being Which was a man who was an amazing father Husband son brother friend partner and public servant I feel that it is only proper to share with you all the great character qualities Of sergeant butch baker that he possessed which I was fortunate enough to experience Benevolence giving to others basic needs without expectations of personal reward unstoppable The freedom to perform at your highest level without any restraints Thankfulness expressing deep gratitude and appreciation to people cheerful expressing encouragement approval or congratulations at the proper time and humility Seeing the contrast between what is perfect and our inability to achieve that perfection So to all who have been following me as I read these outstanding character qualities each one spelled out the name butch In the slightest of ways you just got to experience the person that I have admired and enjoyed for the past 28 years Now you know why I have been extremely blessed To Kelly and the baker family. I thank you for this opportunity And pray that the sadness your family and friends are experiencing During this time of catastrophic loss is hopefully comforted by some degree of knowing that butch Was an ambassador of the profession a hero And a great friend Butch I want to thank you for all the laughs we shared over the years You taught me the importance of what it means to be a true friend You reminded me of the value of being a good father You supported me through times of personal challenges and accomplishments I will over forever cherish those experiences And deeply miss you See you later my friend and god bless And now Santa Cruz police department detectives wendy binds And laurel shonefield would like to share a few words about their friend and fellow detective Elizabeth I'm here today to speak on behalf of elizabeth and on behalf of the women of the police department I am in awe at the outpouring of support and love this community This state and the extended law enforcement family has shown us in our time of need I have lived and worked in this community my entire life And have never experienced such a horrific act by one sick individual Or such an equally overwhelming call to aid during such a difficult time In many ways, this is a testament to elizabeth how she touched so many lives Made a difference for so many people And showed that even during the worst of times there is good To all of our allied agencies here today Your unyielding support and unprecedented response Was worthy of the type of person an officer elizabeth was I am proud to stand up here as a member of this police department a female officer That like elizabeth is a mother and a member of the santa cruz and law enforcement community Elizabeth shared this pride of community and faith in our law enforcement partners Elizabeth would be eternally grateful to those who came to her aid And defense as well as those who have come forward to show their love and support Through the numerous acts of kindness whether they be cards Gifts donations or offers of help She would have done the same for any one of you That is what she lived and died for her community Her nation and society as a whole Elizabeth was the voice of those who could not speak for themselves She worked tirelessly to see that even the meekest had a chance at justice She bravely challenged those who told her no and forged ahead She saw helping others through police work as a noble and honorable profession She committed herself to be a fierce warrior in the battle on crime and injustice She felt fulfilled when she could help those who had challenges beyond that of ordinary folks She fought for the underdog Put simply Elizabeth wasn't just one of the best female officers in our state She was one of the best officers period She rose to the challenge of competing in a male dominated profession To prove herself a worthy member of the brother and sisterhood She embodied what it meant to be a working mother Partner daughter And sister and she gracefully showed us that we do not have to sacrifice empathy and compassion Or motherhood to be a tenacious and tough cop She felt that there were a lack of women in this profession And wished that there were more willing to step up to the challenge She set an incredible example of hard work and diligence for the women of this police department She would not want us to dwell on the unspeakable horror of that day She would want us all to take stock And then to keep moving forward Peter Joaquin and Stellan The legacy of elizabeth will live on She will never be forgotten And her life will not have been in vain Every year that passes her spirit and innate goodness Will shine through in moments of laughter tears and hope Elizabeth was a hero in every sense of the word She was a hero our community could not afford to lose I am honored to have known her. I am honored to have worked with her Elizabeth You will be missed Intensely and I thank her family and all of you for letting me share a little more of her with you When I became a detective with the santa cruse police department I thought I had been given one of the greatest honors I could spend my days and nights Working on cases Making a difference in people's lives But it turns out that it wasn't becoming a detective that was my greatest honor It was that I got to sit directly across from beth In our investigations bureau Beth was my colleague But more importantly, she was my friend We worked many similar assignments Shared some of the same mentors And often used each other as a sounding board for what was going on in our lives And in our work We are both mothers Both women in law enforcement Both people that got involved in this career Because we wanted to give something back The gloves don't let you turn pages I know there are thousands of people here today who didn't personally know Beth But have come to show their support If I could convey one thing to those that didn't know her It would be what an amazing person beth was Her compassion Character and courage Couldn't be matched All of these elements shine through in her work Beth held many different assignments over the years and always brought her love for her work with her Beth seemed to find her niche in her most current assignment as a sexual assault investigator Beth's assignment was one that very few law enforcement officers want Sexual assaults Particularly the sexual assaults of children are very difficult cases to investigate These kinds of cases have graphic details Are lengthy and manner and can often have unrewarding results Despite all this Beth handled these cases with the tenacity that made Beth Beth Beth was a passionate believer in victims rights And Beth thought it absolutely essential that victims were given a voice She believed that these stories needed to be told That victims be heard when others wouldn't listen Beth didn't care that her cases didn't get the recognition a homicide case Got as long as she was able to provide the victims with some kind of closure Beth did not believe in the word no Or the idea that something couldn't be done When she committed to a case She committed to justice She committed to be the voice for those victims And she didn't care who she might bump heads with to get it Beth worked her cases from beginning to end with a level of competency that impressed all of us At the end of the day Beth's ability to think outside the box Helped her navigate victims cases through the complicated world of family and criminal court Beth's family asked that I tell a story about the first search warrant Beth wrote Officer Azua of the Santa Cruz police department kindly shared the story with me When Beth first started her assignment on our county's narcotics enforcement team She was being trained and mentored by officer Azua Officer Azua guided Beth through writing the search warrant and went with her to get the search warrant signed by a district attorney And then present the search warrant to a judge Officer Azua and Beth walked into the clerk's office and asked to speak with a judge for search warrant to be signed The honorable judge Salazar met officer Azua and Beth And took best search warrant back to his office A long time passed Being cops they knew this was a clue And officer Azua told Beth that it wasn't a good sign Now for all of you here who write search warrants think back to your first search warrant It takes hours You struggled with what to say and you pray that the judge won't laugh at you for your lack of experience When you bring it to the judge you sit nail-biting as it seems to take forever And you hope that you're not going to have to rewrite this thing That cost you several hours of sleep the night before Finally judge Salazar came out from his chambers and told Beth that he was going to sign it Beth's face broke into a huge smile from ear to ear And as judge Salazar raised his right hand to swear about then Beth high-five judge Salazar Judge Salazar and officer Azua both froze as Beth stood there smiling I'm sure judge Salazar was slightly stunned as no one has ever high-fived him on a swearing in Being a good training officer officer Azua told Beth that she wasn't supposed to high-five the judge She was sworn in and the search warrant was signed Hence began the famous high-five story at the Santa Cruz police department We all had some fun with Beth over this But I always thought this story was a true representation of how Beth felt about her cases Anyone who worked with Beth knew that when she had a good case She worked it with every ounce of her being If when you first heard about the case you didn't believe in it By the time Beth was done explaining what she saw in that case You believed in it I imagine that did excuse me that the day Beth high-five judge Salazar She thought judge Salazar was excited as she was in the work she was doing Honestly more of us police officers District attorneys and judges should be high-fiving each other for the work we get up and do each day Beth and I often spoke with what it was like to be a female officer and some of the challenges that came with it Although women in law enforcement have come a long way We're still small in numbers and are often the only woman on a shift or a team Beth felt that as women We're in a unique position to represent so many of our female clients who are victims Or significant witnesses to crime And in the aftermath of a crisis may be more likely to open up to a female officer Beth saw our roles as female officers as an opportunity to be a role model for other women in our community And serve as mother figures to our community Beth felt that women brought a different perspective to law enforcement and that perspective was essential in creating a dynamic law enforcement agency That addressed a wide variety of clients needs Beth was forever saying we needed more women in law enforcement and was actively recruiting women into our department The friday before beth was horribly murdered Beth and i were the only two people in investigations for most of the day We both walked into work feeling overwhelmed by the large piles of work on our desks Although everyone in investigations is always busy A recent homicide and violent robberies had overloaded everyone's plate As beth and i tried to get work done that day We found ourselves making excuses to turn to each other and talk Finally, halfway through the day, beth and i gave up and scooted our chairs close to each other We talked with each other about our children, our partners, and our families We laughed over crazy cases and stupid crooks We giggled about having to work surveillance and never having the quote unquote right equipment to find a good place to go the bathroom We laughed until we cried that day Admittedly we got very little work done, but we relieved some of the pressure we were both feeling As law enforcement officers the job we do is not an easy one We're highly competitive with each other to be the best of the best Sometimes we forget that we need to stop and lean on each other to make it possible to do this job Beth believed we needed to support one another so the load we carried wasn't so heavy Our law enforcement community the Santa Cruz community This world is less because elizabeth butler is gone Beth from your law enforcement sisters and brothers We want you to know we believed in you and the work you did And we promise to carry your tenacity and passion into the future work we do as peace officers We love you and we miss you and we will forever have your back All of these memories have been so touching so inspiring And we have one more reminiscence today After which we'll have a song Brief closing comments And then the presentation of the flags and so now santa cruz county chief deputy district attorney jeff rozel Would like to share a few thoughts about butch Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen i'm jeff rozel The chief deputy district attorney of santa cruz county But more importantly I was a friend and a colleague to butch baker for 20 years I was honored When the baker family asked me to share some memories and some experiences about butch And for those of you lucky enough to know butch You know that he was born to be a cop You know that it was in his blood And it was in his soul And the family shared a story with me That I wanted to tell you about That when butch baker was a little boy He like many of us Played cops and robbers But even as a little boy Butch baker's enthusiasm Was more than others As a little boy butch baker Would take his sister's stuffed animals and teddy bears And arrest them and cuff them up And knowing butch He probably mirandized him And if the miranda didn't go so well and I was there I promise you Butch would have explained to me that they weren't really in custody And that the statements that he got out of them would be no problem to get into evidence in court Butch baker not only had the desire to be a policeman But he was unique And he was special Because he was great at it He had a disarming manner dogged determination Incredible instincts That made him a natural Investigator And butch loved To investigate cases It seemed like over the last 28 years For every major case that santa cruz police department was involved in Butch baker was there Whether it was three in the afternoon Or three in the morning Butch was there Whether the case was assigned to him Or butch somehow engineered his way into that case Butch Was there And he was there to work When butch became the sergeant In charge of persons crimes Butch took a personal interest In all of the cases He felt responsible For guiding these cases Through the investigative process And also through the court process Butch took ownership of these cases And when detectives would tell him or complain about their cases Butch in that typical butch way Would stand there and tell him Look pal These are all my cases I just let you investigate them For decades From the perspective of the da's office Butch baker Was the go-to guy In the 1980s Butch baker would be the first person that you would go to on your rolodex And in 2013 Butch baker Would be the first person you'd go to on your iphone Butch Didn't need voicemail Because butch always Answered the phone Butch knew what it took to investigate and prosecute the case And butch Knew that if you needed something done he would do it Butch loved the giants And butch was a team player Butch was a fixer Butch was a closer And butch was a get it done kind of guy Butch Would give you the shirt off his back If it was after lunch you can be sure there would have been a few food stains down the front of that Butch Was also a mentor To many people In the police department and in the da's office And I wanted to share a story about butch I was in the middle of A homicide trial And butch had assigned a young detective To help me Get a very difficult reluctant witness in the court The last day For me to put witnesses on Supposed to be there at nine o'clock in the morning And the young detective was having difficulty Locating this witness and getting him into court Because the witness although we knew generally what apartment complex he lived in would not give his address So When I found this out I did What I always did when I had a problem At santa cruse police department I called butch In butch who was in the middle of his morning briefing with his detectives Stopped the briefing took every one of them out to the apartment complex in the morning Knocked on every door until they found the witness Got him out of bed Rushed him into a police car and rushed him to court But there was a problem That witness Was wearing a ratty Tank top that he had been sleeping But undeterred butch Marched that witness into court In a beautiful shirt It wasn't butch's shirt It was the one that he commandeered off the young detectives back butch baker Loved his family And he loved his job And butch tried to balance work and family life And his wife kelly related a story to me That illustrates this One day butch came home And told his wife kelly that he would like to take a nice walk on the beach with her Kelly was a little surprised by this But thought this was a great opportunity and let's go with it So instead of butch Taking kelly to some of the beaches that were Sandy right in Santa Cruz. They got in the car And they drove north of Santa Cruz up by Davenport And If any of you know that area, you know that there's not a lot of sandy beaches there It's more jagged cliffs and rugged areas They park the car and they get out And they're walking along this cliff side That goes down hundreds of feet down into the water And kelly is thinking this is nice. It's not what I expected and but it's nice And as they're walking along She notices that butch Appears to be distracted The edge of the cliff and then she notices That butch is Sniffing the air and so finally Kelly asks butch What's going on here and then butch confesses to kelly That he had been working on a homicide case And that he believes that they had dumped the body somewhere down these cliffs that they were taking their walk That was butch baker multitasking butch Was a tenacious Dedicated policeman But more important to him were the relationship that he had with family with friends And with colleagues And over the years butch and I got in many arguments But at the end of all those arguments They would always go the same way Butch would look at me And butch would tell me You know, we're good, right? And the truth of the matter is Butch and I Were always good In the 28 years That butch Saw the gritty side of police work He never lost His compassion And his humanity Butch Baker was the detective sergeant On another homicide case That was in the middle of trial With three defense attorneys representing three defendants Butch hadn't been cross examined yet And butch knew these defense attorneys One of them in the middle of the trial had a heart attack And was rushed to the hospital And the very first person That visited that defense attorney Was butch Baker Asking him are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you? Butch Was proud and loved his family And butch's family Should be proud of butch's legacy Of all the people That he helped Of all the suffering That he prevented And all the people That he kept safe I'm gonna miss you my friend God bless you all Well at this time I'd like to invite James Durbin to perform a song in honor of butch and beth So far this afternoon we've heard from friends family members co-workers of butch and beth but james knew butch in a different Circumstance butch used to chaperone dances At james school and this is how james first Knew butch and while james gets set up Let me just say thank you to all those who've shared their testimony Of the honor the sense of fairness The steadfast pursuit of the truth exemplified by butch and beth And i'm sure you feel as I do inspired To show those qualities in my own life in greater ways inspired especially to love My family my friends And perhaps even defense attorneys And now Here's james durbin In five minutes and then the presentation of the flag ceremony And I have to say uh as a pastor I have spent countless hours with people in times of loss and tragedy Including this loss these tragedies And people always ask me What's next How can I go on how do I find meaning and hope and I always try to answer And to be honest I always leave those conversations feeling inadequate about what I said And I have no doubt that this occasion won't be any different We're at a gathering of many faiths today people from different perspectives But as a christian minister, of course, I know my own faith's resources the best So let me just share with you what I believe from a tradition In which both butch and beth had roots The man the bible says was the wisest man who ever lived king solomon Wrote something very strange At first hearing it's in the book of ecclesiastics He said it is better to go to a house of grieving of funeral than a house of feasting Because death is the destiny of everyone And the living should take this to heart He's just saying as you heard somebody say earlier take stock He's saying to all of us don't miss this chance He's saying times like this moments like this are so difficult, but so important so meaningful so potentially life changing and enhancing Because we take to heart here How brief how precious Life is the lives of these loved ones and our own lives Life is so fragile So how do we deal with that? Well, solomon goes on to write so Enjoy your life He says enjoy your life with your wife Enjoy your work Enjoy your food and drink That's in the bible In other words seize the day Because our days are limited Think of how grateful alexis was for those Days spent with beth Think of the ways that butch relished life and the best way to honor Our fallen comrades used to walk out of this building today determined determined to live Walk out enjoying the sun on your face and the breeze on your skin Walk out of your holding a hand And then when you get home tonight Take time to call up a loved one perhaps Even to repair a broken relationship Because we're reminded again today life for all of us is so precious And so short and those of us from santa cruz. Let's seize this chance To really do something positive for our community. Let's not throw up our hands and say See what a mess No, let's reach out our hands And say let's work on this together I saw the throngs of people all along the motorcade route as i mentioned earlier and i thought This moment could be a hinge of history For santa cruz Because i believe that the love and compassion that we're all sensing has reached a real critical mass Where we could all really Say from this point forward We're going to hand in hand work to better our community and make it even more Into a place where that precious gift of life is truly relished With joy and with peace But when i deal with my own grief I don't just need hope to live this life Speaking personally i need hope for what comes after life I was mentioning to peter how i lost my own father As a child in fact my sister and i were almost exactly the same ages as elizabeth and peter's children And then later i lost my stepfather as well And i found that i needed this Hope for what comes next to survive So where do we find that? Well for christians all over the world from every denomination that hope is found and something we celebrate At the end of this month And that's easter Easter weekend starts at the cross And on good friday at the cross For christians that shows that god understands grief in fact On the cross we see that god knows what it's like To lose a loved one In an unjust attack But The story doesn't end on the cross It ends with a resurrection With an emptied grave Good friday turns into easter sunday And what difference does that make for those of us in this room? Well on that note Let me quote Dr. Martin Luther king jr Who said there's a question that men ask in times like this Is the universe really on the side of the forces of good? Because sometimes it looks awfully dark And sometimes people come to feel that the universe is on the other side that the universe seems to say amen to the forces of injustice And oh it looked dark centuries ago But thank god the crucifixion Was not the last act Dr. King went on easter affirms that what stops us does not stop god that death Is not the end that life is not doomed to futility and frustration But can end in fulfillment in the life and resurrection of our lord and savior jesus christ You know like dr. King talked about sometimes I doubt I get disturbed Why do the forces of evil seem to triumph? But I have to remind myself when i'm thinking that way i'm stopping at friday Because the resurrection Means one day seeing our loved ones seeing butch and beth restored returned Reunited now I suspect that many of us Even raised in christian churches are saying yeah Well, I wish I could believe that well to that I say why not go with that wish to even want That kind of resurrection to love the idea Of that kind of restoration even though you're unsure of it is strengthening Because it's the hope that one day Something so amazing will come to pass that as the final book of the bible says He will wipe away every tear And death shall be no more And there shall be no more grieving no more crying no more pain That's the day I long for The day that god Breaks the bow Shatters the spirit And makes wars cease To the ends of the earth And that's what gives me hope for this life And the life to come Amen And now the sanikers police department will prepare And present the flags To the families Sam 105 sanikers No response Sam 105 sergeant Lauren butch baker ended his watch on tuesday february 26 2013 172 sanikers No response 172 sanikers No response 172 detective elizabeth butler ended her watch on tuesday february 26 2013 Though you are gone your service to your community and the sacrifices you made will never be forgotten May your courage and valor live on in the hearts of those who came to honor you today Santa claus claire kma 233