By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

In the often grisly world of a crime scene technician, Danny Lunsford knew how to lighten the mood.

He often joked with his peers at the Kissimmee Police Department that he hadn’t “authorized” anyone to commit a crime in his city.

Lunsford, 54, died May 5 when he suffered a heart attack in a local hospital after being transported there complaining of stomach pains.

Beloved in his community, the burly man who made up nicknames for himself such as “The Chief,” “supreme leader” and “commandant,” had 200 visitors in one day during his hospital stay.

His funeral procession rivaled that of a decorated police officer, Sgt. Ron Schroeder said, adding memorial patches with 51, Lunsford’s identification number and a thumbprint were distributed to police department staff.

Born William Daniel Lunsford in 1956, he was raised in Kissimmee, graduating from Osceola High School in 1974. A photography buff, Lunsford dabbled in the profession before being hired at the Kissimmee Police Department in 1979 as a reserve officer.

When Schroeder was first hired at the department in 1984, Lunsford rode with him to serve a search warrant in McLaren Circle. The suspect ran into a house and out the back, right into the path of Schroeder, who tried to stop the man.

Schroeder was smaller than the suspect and was being dragged along until Lunsford “came out of nowhere” and with one leap, tackled the suspect to the ground.

“After that, Danny rode with me anytime he wanted because that was a good arrest,” Schroeder said.

Wanting to incorporate his love of photography into his career, Lunsford took a job as a crime scene technician and latent fingerprint examiner in 1984, a position he held until his death.

“He was just a wealth of knowledge,” police spokeswoman Stacie Miller said. “It’s going to be a huge loss for us.”

In the police academy Lunsford taught Lt. Dan Burkard how to preserve evidence at crime scenes and to take photos if needed.

“Danny (was) the KPD crime lab. He was actually a crime scene investigator,” Burkard said. “If you needed something in crime lab, he’d take care of you.”

For all of his joking around, Lunsford knew when to be serious, helping to put one man on death row and several others in prison for life based on his testimony of crime scene evidence at their trials.

“It’s a big loss because all that experience is out the window,” Burkard said.

A huge Andy Griffith fan, Lunsford decorated his office with posters and calendars. He enjoyed collecting autographs and often went to a baseball card store in downtown Kissimmee with Burkard to meet professional ballplayers. Additionally, the pair would go to card shows together and attend Florida Marlins games.

Lunsford also organized a weekly lottery pool and a monthly “old timer’s luncheon” to catch up with retired and former police officers.

A “big time family guy,” Schroeder said that once Lunsford met his wife of 20 years, Yvette, “that was it.”

A hands-on father to Meghan, 22, Cody, 17, and Dakota, 15, Lunsford was known to participate in Boy Scout activities with his son and spent time researching his genealogy. Recently, Lunsford had his old 1987 pickup truck refurbished to give to his son.

Lunsford also is survived by his mother, Evelyn Horst, brothers, Randy and Mike Lunsford and sister, Connie Arnold.