PRESS RELEASE
MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
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LANSING — Several members of the Michigan State Police (MSP) received awards and recognition for their dedication and service to the people and communities of Michigan at a ceremony in Lansing yesterday. The awards were part of the department’s Employee Recognition Ceremony, which honors members who have earned a promotion, reached 30 years of service and been injured in the line of duty.

“Our members amaze me,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “They selflessly provide exceptional customer service across the state every day. They create a Michigan where everyone feels safe and secure.”

Meritorious Service Award – D/Sgt. Anthony Utt, Alpena Post

D/Sgt. Anthony Utt, assigned to the Alpena Post, received the Meritorious Service Award for his extraordinary dedication and perseverance in leading and solving a complex and high-profile case involving the disappearance and murder of two young women in Alpena County. The investigation began in August 2021 with the disappearance of a 17-year-old female. Investigators later learned there was a second female victim who had witnessed the first murder.

D/Sergeant Utt spent hundreds of hours investigating, writing reports and documenting property. In total, 85 interviews were conducted and over 70 search warrants were obtained and executed.

In February 2024, the suspect was found guilty of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and three additional counts related to both murders.

Meritorious Service Award – Ms. Elizabeth Wandrei, Intelligence Division – Third District

Ms. Elizabeth Wandrei received the Meritorious Service Award for her professionalism, diligence and perseverance during a complex homicide investigation in Lapeer County in 2011.

In her role as a crime analyst, Wandrei spent hundreds of hours over several years assisting investigators in gathering information on a suspect while coordinating with federal and other law enforcement agencies. Her criminal intelligence played a critical role in finding information related to the murder that ultimately helped investigators locate and arrest the suspect out of state.

Awards for bravery and life-saving – Goalkeepers Myles Redmond and Emily Spoeri, Flint Post
Sgt. Louis Velaga, Intelligence Operations Division

Tprs Myles Redmond and Emily Spoeri, assigned to the Flint Post, and Sgt. Louis Velaga, previously assigned to the Flint Post and now assigned to the Intelligence Operations Division, received the valor and lifesaving awards for their heroic actions during a critical incident.

In October 2023, Police Officers Redmond and Spoeri and Sergeant Velaga responded to a house fire where a child was in a locked back room. The trio repeatedly entered the burning and smoke-filled house in search of the child, knowingly exposing themselves to serious injury. After several attempts, when the smoke became thicker and they could no longer breathe, they broke the bedroom window to expel the smoke and go back inside.

Firefighters found the child and a second person. Both were not breathing, so police officers began CPR and soon they were breathing on their own. Both were taken to hospital in serious but stable condition.

Yesterday’s ceremony also featured the presentation of the department’s newest award, the Blue Diamond Citation, which was created to honor seriously injured members of the department. Fourteen current and former members of the department received the award for incidents that occurred over the past 30 years, including critical incidents from 1991 to 2024. All 56 of our fallen soldiers were posthumously awarded the Blue Diamond in recognition of their sacrifice.

Since the last ceremony in February, nearly 40 members have been honored for their promotions.

The MSP officially honors its members twice a year for long service, promotions and exceptional achievements.

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