FOX 5 Sr. I-Team Reporter Dale Russell retires | FOX 5 News

FOX 5’s Senior I-Team Reporter, Dale Russell, retired after almost 40 years of relentless work in exposing government waste and corruption. His dedication to investigative journalism earned him respect and fear amongst politicians who knew he would hold them accountable for how they spent taxpayer dollars.

Russell began his career covering the missing and murdered children investigation in the early 1980s, ultimately leading to the trial of Wayne Williams. In 1985, he joined the station’s investigative unit, becoming one of only six reporters in the unit’s storied history.

Throughout his career, Russell showcased his ability to dig for answers and expose the truth, no matter how long it took or what it took. He covered some of the most significant events in history, including the Olympic park bombing and the Boston Marathon bombing, where he scooped every other journalist in the country.

His investigative work led to some significant changes, including Customs changing its policy on racial profiling at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after a six-month investigation won the station a Peabody Award.

Russell and long-time producer Mindy Larkham produced two Peabody Award-winning investigations, showing their ability to strike the right balance between being tough and showing people respect.

Throughout his career, Russell held onto his old-school approach to investigative journalism, spending hours digging through piles of documents to find the one nugget that would reveal the truth.

Russell thanked his colleagues and said it had been a blessing and a roller coaster ride. He noted that the I-Team was truly a team, and a lot of professionals down there were extremely good at their craft.

Russell’s success was due to his integrity and dedication to telling the truth. His sources knew they could trust him to take care of them and give an honest assessment of the facts. The I-Team was expensive to run, but Russell had the support of the station throughout his career.

Russell’s retirement is a significant loss for FOX 5, but his legacy lives on through the investigations he conducted and the journalists he inspired.