Lawrence Police Capt. Dan Affalter, pictured Tuesday at the Law Enforcement Center, will be retire from the police force at the end of the week after 32 years of service.

Every time his phone rang in the middle of the night, his stomach filled with knots. Every time his phone rang in the middle of the night, he knew something wasn’t right. Every time his phone rang in the middle of the night, he was sure someone had been killed in Lawrence.

But as the city’s chief homicide detective, that’s what Capt. Dan Affalter has lived for during his 32-year police career.

“That’s the one thing that’s always driven me the most, is the cases that really need to have special attention given to them,” said Affalter, 54, who on Friday will serve his last day on the Lawrence police force.

‘Black mark’

The investigator came face-to-face with many unbelievable and horrendous crimes during his time on the force.

In 1988, Affalter said, he found the torso of 9-year-old Richard Settlemeyre, who had been sexually molested and chopped apart, floating in the river. He also feared for his life during a late-night trip to a New York house of prostitution to track down a suspect in the 1989 murder of Tamara Baker.

“Some of those cases will leave a black mark on your soul,” he said.

But finding justice for the families of people who were killed in many of the city’s biggest cases is what kept Affalter going. And he takes pride in knowing that no murders in Lawrence have gone unsolved under his watch. Every murderer has been tracked down.

“I’m very proud about what we accomplished during my career,” said Affalter, his eyes brimming with tears. “I’m going to miss it.”

Leaving behind his career makes Affalter emotional. He’s had a tough year.

The last time he attempted to do what he truly loved — investigating murders — was June 7, when two men were shot to death during a botched robbery in East Lawrence.

It was the last time his phone would ring in the middle of the night.

It became clear the chief detective couldn’t handle it anymore. He couldn’t work around-the-clock tracking down killers. He couldn’t even make it through the day.

Instead of working the double killing, Affalter landed in the hospital, where he spent eight days in intensive care.

“I just couldn’t hang with them,” he said. “I was so tired I didn’t know I was sick.”

Affalter knew something was wrong, but he had trouble admitting it. He received a diagnosis of lung cancer in April.

‘I’m still fighting’

So far, his cancer fight has been unsuccessful.

He’s been through two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and suffered a blocked artery in his lung. Doctors weren’t able to perform planned surgeries, because of complications.

“It’s knocked me down, but it certainly hasn’t knocked me out,” said Affalter, an on-and-off smoker who kicked the habit last year. “I’m still fighting.”

With his retirement right around the corner, Affalter asked Police Chief Ron Olin for a transfer. The last thing he wanted was to hinder his squad of fellow detectives.

“That’s what I loved doing and I didn’t want to hold them back,” Affalter said.

So, the baton was handed over to Capt. Dan Ward. Affalter has served the last several months in charge of information technology, while taking time away from work to battle his cancer.

And although he misses his phone ringing in the middle of the night, he looks forward to spending time with young people, being involved with Boy Scouts and continuing his side gig as a hunter education instructor.

“I won’t have trouble finding anything to do,” he said, adding that he also plans to fish and ride his motorcycle for recreation.

In January, a more aggressive cancer treatment is planned.

The one thing he’s looking forward to most is the return of his son from Iraq. Danny Affalter will return from his second tour of duty in June, after 15 months on the front lines of the war.

“He’s right in the middle of it,” said Affalter, who also has two daughters. “We worry about him.”

As the police captain struggles through several emotional events in his life, he maintains a positive attitude. And as he continues his uphill climb, Affalter will leave behind a decade of wisdom with more than a dozen fellow police detectives, who share his passion for tracking down the most violent criminals in the city.

“The captain is a very reliable guy and a good friend,” chief Olin said. “He has friends throughout this organization who are sorry to see him leave.”