Kent Police Detective Ford retires after 29 years with department

Sgt. Tim Ford, the Kent Police detective who helped solve a 44-year-old murder cold case in 2024, has retired after 29 years with the department.

Ford called the case his most fulfilling investigation during his retirement ceremony in front of friends, family and co-workers Dec. 19 at City Hall.

Detectives used DNA, genealogy comparisons and a discarded cigarette to find the man who allegedly killed Dorothy “Dottie” Silzel 44 years ago at her Kent condo shortly after she ended her shift at a local pizza parlor.

King County prosecutors charged Kenneth Kundert, 65, in August 2024 with first-degree murder for the February 1980 strangulation of Silzel, 30, found dead in her condo in the 25400 block of 106th Avenue SE. Kundert pleaded not guilty. A trial date is scheduled for April 7, 2025, although that could get pushed out if attorneys ask for more time to prepare the case.

During the retirement ceremony, Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla awarded Ford the Chief’s Award of Professional Excellence for his tireless pursuit to solve the cold case murder. The Yantzer family, relatives of Silzel, attended the ceremony to congratulate Ford on his retirement.

Ford said that he “thoroughly enjoyed every assignment” and believes he’s had “an incredibly blessed career,” according to a Kent Police Facebook post. His assignments included patrol officer, field trainer, K-9 unit, detective, patrol sergeant, Detective/SIU sergeant and recruiting and hiring sergeant.

His favorite assignment was the K-9 unit because running with his K-9 partner to catch bad guys was fun, and this type of work is what drew him to law enforcement in the first place.

Ford said he wants to be remembered for being dependable, hardworking and reliable. For newer officers, he wants them to remember to only worry about the things you can control, and to make sure you enjoy your career because it goes by really fast.

“The first thing that comes to mind is work ethic,” Padilla said about Ford during the ceremony. “Tim is one of the hardest working people I know. He has no tolerance for laziness as many of you are aware, for Tim there are no slack days. He is dedicated. This job was never about him and it was always about others, the public, his co-workers and our mission.

“He is professional and holds himself to a very high standard in all he does. He consistently produces work that is of the highest quality. Lastly, he is reliable. If you assign something to Tim, he gets it done. The City of Kent has benefited greatly, our department has benefited greatly, and I have definitely benefited greatly from having Tim as a member of the KPD family.”

Officer Tim Ford when hired by the Kent Police Department in 1995. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent Police