After 26 years as KTRK‘s lead investigative reporter, Wayne Dolcefino has left the ABC O&O in Houston.

The station said in a statement that Dolcefino “elected to leave” the station. Houston media blogger Mike McGuff, who first noted Dolcefino’s disappearance earlier this month, reports KTRK announced the news of the reporter’s exit on the 5 p.m. newscast last Wednesday.

In a statement issued to the Houston Chronicle, Dolcefino said he had “fought hard to honor the long tradition of Eyewitness News.”

“I thank the people at Channel 13 who have helped me expose those who betray the public trust and who waste the public’s money,” the statement reads. “After 26 years you are like family. Telling the truth can sometimes be controversial. I hope I have honored the viewers I care about so much.”