MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A Division Of The
Department of Public Safety
Public Information and Education Division - PO Box 568 - Jefferson City, MO 65102
NEWS RELEASE
For further information please contact: Lt. Eric F. Brown 573-526-6115
August 10, 2026
Q08102026
EMPHASIS: Major Paul D. Kerperin To Retire September 1, 2026
Colonel Michael A. Turner, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the retirement of Major Paul D. Kerperin effective September 1, 2026, after 31 years of dedicated service.
Kerperin was appointed to the Patrol on July 1, 1995, as a member of the 70th Recruit Class. Upon graduating from the Patrol's Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to Troop F, Zone 12, Osage and Gasconade counties. On August 1, 2000, he was promoted to corporal and designated assistant zone supervisor of Troop F, Zone 2, Cole County. Kerperin was promoted to sergeant and assigned to Troop F Headquarters, Jefferson City, on June 24, 2007. He was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the Field Operations Bureau, General Headquarters, on July 1, 2010. Kerperin was promoted to captain and designated director of the Patrol Records Division on August 1, 2014. He was designated director of the Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) and transferred on January 1, 2017. On December 1, 2022, Kerperin was promoted to major and designated commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, General Headquarters. As commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he had oversight responsibility for the Crime Laboratory Division, DDCC, Gaming Division, and Missouri Information Analysis Center. He also served as a member of the Patrol’s Command Staff.
Major Kerperin grew up in the Jefferson City area and graduated from Blair Oaks High School. In 1994, he graduated from Lincoln University, in Jefferson City, MO, with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. In December 2011, he graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. In 2019, he completed Police Leadership: The West Point Model Executive Level Course. Prior to joining the Patrol, he was employed as a deputy with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department from April 1993 until June 1995. Major Kerperin and his wife, Shauna (Huenink), have three children: Kallie, Kasey, and Brady.
A photo of Major Kerperin is posted with this news release on the Patrol’s website.