Roger Bruce Whomes

Roger Bruce Whomes was born April 6, 1955, in Fallon, Nevada, to Donald and Willetta Whomes. His family moved to Reno in 1971, and he graduated from Bishop Manogue High School in 1973. He went on to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he studied education and graduated in 1979, and where his lifelong pull toward law enforcement first took shape - volunteering with the Sparks Auxiliary Police department and working at Whittenburg Hall Juvenile Detention Center. After UNR he enrolled in the Reno Police Academy and worked there for two years before attending the McGeorge School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1985.

Roger joined the Washoe County District Attorney's office after graduation and served there for 18 years, with a three-year hiatus in private practice. During his time with the office he chaired the DUI Task Force and developed criteria for investigating and prosecuting DUI cases, and he served as prosecutor in more than 100 jury trials. He closed out his tenure with Washoe County with two years in the Public Defender's office. In 2010 he ran a strong campaign for the office of Washoe County District Attorney, missing election by a narrow margin.

Roger later joined the Humboldt County District Attorney's office in Winnemucca, where he worked for nearly three years before retiring in January 2014. Beyond the courtroom he was an avid sportsman who had hunted and fished across Nevada since boyhood, pursuits he shared with his family throughout his life.