Kathryn Gilleran grew up in Elmira, New York, and began her career as a social worker in Tompkins County. A single mother raising two sons, Kathy joined the Ithaca Police Department in 1985, where she served as a Patrol Officer and Neighborhood Police Officer. Kathy was also trained and certified as a Mounted Police Officer, was a member of the Emergency Response Team, and is one of the first female officers in the United States to complete Advanced SWAT Training with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. As a police officer, Kathy was deeply involved in community outreach programs, where she helped to connect local residents with the police department. Kathy frequently appeared on the local news in stories pertaining to the police, and was the recipient of numerous awards, including Crime Prevention Officer of the Year by the New York State Crime Prevention Coalition and the Michael Padula Award by the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission. In 2006, she retired from the Ithaca Police Department after more than twenty years of service.
Kathy has a dedicated website to Aeyryn’s disappearance here.
Please note: Kathy Gilleran uses the original spelling of her family surname.