How did Mike Gonzalez die? Famous Miami detective cause of death explained

Mike Gonzalez, a well-known Miami detective, passes away at 95. Let’s see what happened to him and Mike Gonzalez cause of death in detail.

What happened to Mike Gonzalez?

Mike Gonzalez, a well-known Miami investigator who “solved more homicides than anyone else,” passed away at 95.

Mike Gonzalez, a police detective, held the indisputable title of Miami’s top murder investigator for forty years. Gonzalez solved cases the old-fashioned way, following up on leads, talking to witnesses, and coaxing suspects into confessing, long before DNA tests and video surveillance.

He found a man who was evading a 10-cent toll, shot the individual, and killed a Florida Highway Patrol officer. During another homicide investigation, he discovered a significant cocaine network.

Additionally, the murderer confessed to Gonzalez more than ten years after a woman’s body was discovered naked and strangled in her bed. He also acknowledged committing another murder two years prior.

Mike Gonzalez cause of death

He was regarded as the best of the best by renowned crime reporter Edna Buchanan of the Miami Herald, who once said, “He has solved more murders than anyone in the world other than Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter.”

Gonzalez passed away last week at his home in South Miami-Dade surrounded by family members after a brief illness, more than three decades after he retired as the dean of Miami’s homicide bureau. He was 95.

“Mike never solved a case utilizing recent DNA achievements. However, he resolved more murder cases with verbal cunning than dozens of DNA investigators have done to date, according to retired Miami Police Department Lt. Jerry Green. “Mike had a very long and significant life for the Miami community and the MPD. Mike, RIP.

Who was Mike Gonalez?

Gonzalez was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 21, 1926. He served in the Merchant Marines during World War II before relocating to Miami in 1946 and joining the Miami Police Department five years later. He had been recruited from the streets into homicide by 1956. His fame and case count swiftly expanded there as Miami transformed from a sleepy town to one of the world’s centers of drug smuggling.

Massive cocaine network Case

While investigating a case involving the “execution-style” deaths of Miami’s director of cultural affairs Aurea Poggio and three other people in 1980, Gonzalez discovered a massive cocaine network.

On the Rickenbacker Causeway in 1984, someone hit George Napoles in the head with a baseball bat before kidnapping and raping the woman he was with. This case was immediately solved by him. It was difficult to find leads. Gonzalez made the revelation that the murderer’s automobile was without a rear window public. Ricky Roberts was accused of the crime the next day. His jury had suggested execution.

Gonzalez demonstrated a remarkable eye for detail and patience to become a local law enforcement legend. He established connections with the media, medical examiners, his colleague’s investigators, and even the people he was pursuing.

Gonzalez’s former coworkers recall memories

Gonzalez’s former coworkers remembered that he prioritized using kindness to convert murderers. As a reminder, he maintained a little sign in a frame on the wall of his workplace. Be kind, it said.

Confesor Gonzalez, a former Miami homicide investigator, referred to him as the “mentor of mentors.” He was pleasant. He wasn’t soft, though. You admired him because he had a strong character and was a powerful man, Gonzalez recalled. Although Confesor would call Mike his “uncle,” the two were not related. “He deserved our allegiance and respect,” we said.

Nelson Andreu, a retired Miami police officer who worked on cases involving murderers connected to the infamous Cocaine Cowboys, described him as “one of my best instructors” and the “dean of Miami homicide.”

When dealing with interrogations, he would constantly advise, “Give it five or 10 minutes when you think you’re about to give up because you’re not getting anything,” Andreu said. “The extra time and perseverance helped in gathering so many confessions,” the author said. Gonzalez served as the mentor for a team of investigators that became well-known for catching killers by encouraging them to pursue homicide.

One of them is Delrish Moss, who worked for Miami Police for many years, rising through the ranks from homicide investigator to department spokesman before accepting the position of police chief in unrest-plagued Ferguson, Missouri. Gonzalez is to be credited for his professional choice. Mike took a genuine interest in me and my growth, making sure I attended numerous schools, the man claimed.

Police officer Moss recalls his times with Gonalez

Moss, a Black police officer, remembered an occasion when Gonzalez compassionately questioned him about a photograph of civil rights leader Malcolm X that he maintained on his desk, even though several of his coworkers were cursing it out loud. He approached and inquired further. He subsequently began reading literature about Malcolm X, according to Moss. Gonzalez eventually advanced through the ranks. When a young investigator named Eunice Cooper joined the team in 1988, he was the unit’s lieutenant at the time.

“Mike was a legend when I first started in homicide. Cooper, who is currently an investigator with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, said it was an honor to be around him. Gonzalez might be stern, but she remembered him as always being cool and composed. There had been an error with the transfer paperwork on her second day in murder.

Gonzalez overheard Cooper directing a patrol supervisor to roll call while she was on the phone with Cooper. Gonzalez snatched the woman’s phone from her grasp and snarled at the patrol chief. She was now murder, he declared. No touching. Cooper remarked that “he was very protective of his people.”

“Mike was a legend when I first started in homicide. Cooper, who is currently an investigator with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, said it was an honor to be around him. Gonzalez might be stern, but she remembered him as always being cool and composed. There had been an error with the transfer paperwork on her second day in murder. Gonzalez overheard Cooper directing a patrol supervisor to roll call while she was on the phone with Cooper.

Gonzalez snatched the woman’s phone from her grasp and snarled at the patrol chief. She was now murder, he declared. No touching. Cooper remarked that “he was very protective of his people.” Gonzalez informed the Herald that he had worked on more than 1,000 homicide cases as he was retiring in 1991.

It kept him in shape. Once, in 1981, a wounded shooter’s suspect slammed into a South Miami house following a pursuit. He then exited the vehicle and took off running. Gonzalez, who at the time was 54, managed to catch him. The man gave up when he saw Gonzalez. Years earlier, the detective had detained the man. I have never shot somebody. Never have I been shot. And I’ve detained more dangerous men than anyone else, added Gonzalez.

Mike’s Unsolved Cases

Despite his triumphs, the cases he was unable to solve were the ones that affected him the most. Amy Billig, a 17-year-old who vanished in Coconut Grove in 1973 without a trace, is likely the most well-known of those. The case is still open over fifty years later.

He admitted to the Miami Herald, “I can’t help but think about the ones I didn’t solve. “The victims’ families, the circumstances around it, how near we came but fell short.” Robert Gonzalez, however, claimed that his brother was pleased with his “long, fulfilling career.” He didn’t miss [police work], in my opinion. He didn’t seem to think too much about the past. He was really modest, remarked Robert Gonzalez.

Actually, his illustrious career would come to an end as a result of a promotion and a shift to the day shift. He eventually came into a problem that he was unable to solve: how to beat rush hour traffic. Two years later, in 1991, he handed up his badge after becoming weary of travels to the Miami Police Department that frequently took longer than an hour from his South-Dade home.

His relatives claimed that throughout the following three decades, he worked on metal sculpture and stained glass, developing his artistic side. Gonzalez leaves behind his wife Gloria, brother Bob Gonzalez, daughters Teresa Wright and Joan McMath, son Charles Gonzalez, and a large number of grandchildren. Gonzalez did not want a funeral, according to his family.

Tributes & condolences to Mike Gonzalez

James Matthewman

RIP Mike. The title “BEST DETECTIVE EVER” is well deserved. A great DETECTIVE & an all-around GREAT GUY.

Warren Emerson

God Bless Mike. Truly 1 one in a million. To me, Mike was the epitome of a Detective. Rest in Peace, you made the world a better place.

Renee Janis

I remember him well when I did my internship (FIU) with Miami police… I liked him.

Argel Villalonga

I was always impressed the few times I saw him at work. Great person and always ready to teach if you had any questions. Rest In Peace

Perry S. Turner

R.I.P. Mike Gonzales you had an Exemplary Career. Thank you for your Distinguished Service

Frank Maye

When you arrived in Homicide there was Mike Gonzalez..in his silence he was a mentor. He dressed and communicated as a homicide detective. We knew that our arrival in Homicide was a standard that he set… Mike always advised with respect; he treated you as if you were worthy of being there…. We followed his lead as a unit The best detective for sure

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