"It's a piece of history for Warren County," said Wright. "I think it's important to remember." Wright, who was elected as prosecuting attorney in 1990, will begin his 19th year in office in January. That makes him the second-longest tenured prosecutor in county history behind someone very close to him. His grandfather, Alvin Juergensmeyer, served 28 years in the position, from 1925-1952. The county prosecutor's position was a part-time job until 2002 when county voters elected to make the job a full-time post. Because of that part-time status, previous prosecutors also maintained a private civil law practice when they were not handling cases for the state. Elected prosecutors served terms of two years until 1982 when the term was changed to four years. The office of the prosecuting attorney, according to county records, was established in 1874. Until that time, the duties of prosecutor were handled by a circuit attorney who traveled between Warren, St. Charles, Lincoln, Montgomery, Audrain and Pike counties. William L. Morsey was the first elected county prosecutor, serving from 1875-1890. He went on to become an assistant U.S. attorney in 1898 and in 1902 was appointed a U.S. Marshal by President Theodore Roosevelt. Several former county prosecutors are names familiar to many area residents. Darryl Hicks, who served from 1967-74, and Tim Joyce, 1981-90, maintain law practices in Warrenton. Keith Sutherland, the prosecutor from 1975-78, was appointed as Warren County's associate circuit judge in 1979 and served until 2001 when he became the circuit judge of the 12th Judicial District. Some former county prosecutors went on to other prominent positions. Emil Roehrig, prosecutor from 1911-1925, was appointed Circuit Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit in 1926 by Gov. Sam Baker. Theodore Hukriede, 1905-1910, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1920. He was later elected to the Missouri State Legislature. Biographical information on past prosecutors was provided by the Warren County Historical Society. "They do a tremendous job of keeping the past alive," said Wright. Wright's great-grandfather, J.W. Delventhal, served from 1891-1900. That makes Wright a third-generation prosecutor. "I can't say I really aspired to become county prosecutor when I was a kid," Wright recounted. "I can remember coming to my grandfather's office and being fascinated by the office machines they used in those days." While he was in law school, Wright worked in a county prosecutor's office where he tried three jury cases. Then he became the assistant prosecutor in Clay County for a time before he moved back to Warrenton and started his own law practice in 1989. He was sworn in as the county's 12th prosecuting attorney on Jan. 1, 1991. "I truly enjoy what I do," Wright said. As county prosecutor, Wright focuses on "trying to make a difference" as he represents each victim. "I don't want to let the families of the victims down," Wright said, "and I hope to bring justice and closure to these cases." He also is proud of two programs established during his tenure: the county's drug court, where an offender can have his or her record purged by completing a challenging program which allows the offender to turn their life around; and the newest vehicle, the DUI court. "I've seen firsthand the benefits of drug court," Wright said. "It is a tremendous program."