Charges against former Auburn detective dismissed


Sexton said he has maintained his innocence throughout the course of the case August 11, 2022 ALBION — The criminal case involving a former Auburn Police Department detective was dismissed Monday. Stacy Sexton of Waterloo faced charges of theft and official misconduct, both Level 6 felonies, which originally were filed in DeKalb County in September...

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Former Redkey (Indiana) Police Officer Charged With Felony


Ridenour's report on the incident did not list a syringe as evidence found during the trash pull. July 1, 2022 A former Redkey police officer, Bradley R. Ridenour (45), was recently charged with a level 6 felony of obstruction of justice in Jay Superior Court. He has been released on a $3,000 bond from Jay County Jail. Ridenour resigned from his po...

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Former Iowa deputy sentenced to 40 years in prison for stealing pain meds


Leusink was accused of stealing prescription pain medication and other property from the evidence room at the sheriff's department Headline here June 2, 2022 A former Plymouth County Deputy Sheriff has been sentenced to up to four decades in prison on theft and burglary charges. Forty-three-year-old Aaron Leusink was accused of stealing prescr...

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Former Vincennes police chief arrested, accused of stealing $35K from evidence vault


According to ISP, the criminal investigation began back in July 2019 after the money went missing. May 25, 2022 A former law enforcement figure in Vincennes, Indiana was arrested on several felony charges Wednesday, according to the Indiana State Police. ISP says former Vincennes Police Chief Dustin Luking, 48, was arrested on several criminal char...

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Man charged 35 years after Roxanne Wood found dead in her Niles Township home


DNA CIGARETTE BUTT March 22, 2022 NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An Indiana man has been sentenced to decades in prison in connection with a 1987 murder in Southwestern Michigan, effectively closing what was once a cold case. Patrick Gilham, 67, has been sentenced to at least 23 years in prison in connection with the slaying of Roxanne Leigh Wood, 30, who...

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Pulaski officer charged with embezzlement of $17,000; takes plea agreement

Woodruff allegedly embezzled more than $5,000 in currency that belonged to the department. February 4, 2022 PULASKI COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - A former detective with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department has been charged with theft. During January and February of 2021, Jason Woodruff allegedly embezzled more than $5,000 in currency that belonged to t...

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Lost Christmas package in hands of Richland County Sheriff's Office


There is a good possibility the package was intended for one of the prisons — either Richland Correctional Institution (RICI December 30, 2021 If anyone is missing a Christmas package, including a large, white drone, it's in the hands of the Richland County Sheriff's Office. Tuesday, a deputy was dispatched to the 1200 block of Evergreen Avenue Wes...

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Millions of dollars in stolen goods found in Chicago storage units

The stolen merchandise recovered by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force includes tens of thousands of products worth millions of dollars, December 10, 2021 CHICAGO, Ill. (WIFR) -The first major bust made by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force was announced on Friday. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that the Organized Retail Crime Tas...

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Genealogy sites, DNA lead to arrest in 2006 rape of a Miami University student

Butler County investigators used familial DNA to tie 59-year-old Lloyd Wendell Ailes of Indiana to an off-campus rape December 10, 2021 OXFORD, Ohio (WKRC) - An Indiana man is now in custody, accused of raping a Miami University student back in 2006. Butler County investigators used familial DNA to tie 59-year-old Lloyd Wendell Ailes of Indiana to ...

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Attorney General says State Patrol can withhold policy for handling, storing evidence

The patrol has declined to say how the employee with 14 years of experience allegedly took the drugs from the Troop H evidence storage building in Lincoln November 1, 2021 The Nebraska State Patrol says it is continuing a review of its evidence handling and storage procedures following a security breach that resulted in $1.2 million in drugs being ...

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Evidence stolen from State Patrol facility results in 66 cases dismissed and potential for more

And more are likely coming. Oct 31, 2021 A month after news broke about the theft of more than $1.2 million worth of seized drugs from the Nebraska State Patrol's evidence room, it's led to dozens of cases being dismissed in Lincoln. And more are likely coming. Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda said officials haven't yet finished t...

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Cincinnati police officer under investigation for allegedly shelving rape DNA test results, prosecutor says

The officer "is accused of doing nothing. Enter Article DATE HERE CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a veteran Cincinnati police officer for allegedly shelving rape DNA test results for years, potentially impacting hundreds of cases, according to Prosecutor Joe Deters. He identified the officer as Chri...

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South Dakota woman convicted in her baby’s 1981 death

A South Dakota woman was convicted of manslaughter Friday in the death of her newborn son whose body was discovered in a ditch 40 years ago. October 10, 2021 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota woman was convicted of manslaughter Friday in the death of her newborn son whose body was discovered in a ditch 40 years ago. Theresa Bentaas, 60, of Si...

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Reports detail missing items in case involving former Auburn detective

Two long guns and money amounting to $938 were discovered to be missing from the Auburn Police Department evidence room  Enter Article DATE HERE AUBURN — Two long guns and money amounting to $938 were discovered to be missing from the Auburn Police Department evidence room in the case that resulted in the arrest of retired Auburn Police D...

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Illinois coroner pleads not guilty to thefts from the dead

A Winnebago County grand jury indicted Hintz  on the charges, which accuse him of stealing about $14,500 in cash belonging to dead people from the coroner's office's evidence vault. September 22, 2021 ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A northern Illinois coroner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges alleging that he stole more than $14,000 in cash from ...

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NSP evidence tech, boyfriend arrested on suspicion of distributing fentanyl laced with cocaine

Through random audits, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Narcotics task force said detectives discovered large amounts of drugs missing including "significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl."  September 24m 2021 LINCOLN, Neb. — A Nebraska State Patrol evidence tech and her boyfriend are under arrest accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine l...

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Former Sheriff's Deputy Under Investigation

Evidence missing from Starke County, special investigatory missing Enter Article DATE HERE STARKE COUNTY, Ind. -- An investigation is underway at the Starke County Sheriff's Office after evidence was reported missing from both active and closed cases. A former deputy is also under investigation, according to multiple sources. The evidence was ...

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Two arrested after a multiagency catalytic converter theft investigation in Sedalia

Investigators seized 107 cutoff catalytic converters that were located at locations in Sedalia and Otterville September 1, 2021 SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Multiple law enforcement agencies arrested two people Wednesday morning after investigating the theft of catalytic converters in the Sedalia area. The Sedalia police, Pettis County Sheriff's Dept. detec...

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Winnebago County Board asks coroner to resign


The latest indictments allege Hintz stole approximately $14,500 in cash that belonged to deceased individuals out of the coroner's office's evidence vault September 12, 2021 OCKFORD—The Winnebago County Board has called for the resignation of county coroner as he faces charges of theft, fraud and official misconduct. The county board unanimously ap...

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Officer is 'going to be fine' after accidental shooting at LMPD Property Room, chief says

Shields said the officer was cleaning his service revolver when he accidentally discharged the weapon, suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach area. September 8, 2021 LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville Metro Police officer was taken to the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the stomach Wednesday afternoon in the LMPD Property Room, Chief ...

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Evidence allegedly destroyed by officers at police precinct during George Floyd protest threatens to derail drug case

A Minnesota judge is considering whether to drop charges against an alleged drug dealer after his lawyer claimed Minneapolis law enforcement officers destroyed critical evidence in a panic prompted by a blaze and takeover of another police department during a 2020 protest over the murder of George Floyd. August 26, 2021 A Minnesota judge is co...

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Man, 84, convicted in 1976 ‘cold case’ homicides

DNA doesn't lie. It's a scientific fact. July 27, 2021 MARINETTE, Wis. — A jury Tuesday took only two hours to convict an 84-year-old man of murdering a Green Bay, Wis., couple at a campground in Marinette County more than four decades ago. After a nine-day trial in Marinette County Circuit Court, Raymand Vannieuwenhoven was found guilty on both co...

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Former Altoona police officer pleads guilty to stealing pills from police evidence lockers

On at least two occasions he switched seized pills being held as evidence with over-the-counter medication, writing false documentation for the seizures. Enter Article DATE HERE A former Altoona police officer has pleaded guilty to charges related to the theft of pills from police evidence lockers and possession of methamphetamine. Joshua Cope...

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New Illinois law provides sexual assault survivors the ability to track the progress of their rape kit processing

While the tracking system won't tell them the results of their tests, they'll know the date it was started or completed. July 1, 2021 ROCKFORD (WREX) — When a person is sexually assaulted, advocates say it takes an incredibly amount of courage for them to come forward. "It is definitely one of the most frightening times, it's the most vulnerable ti...

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Trooper exposed to fentanyl in traffic stop saved by suspect’s Narcan, reports state

The dose belonged to the suspect who also allegedly owned the illicit drug the trooper had been exposed to. June 24, 2021 KAWKAWLIN, MI — When a Michigan State Police trooper began feeling the effects of a narcotics overdose during a traffic stop, a quick dose of Narcan kept the worst at bay. The dose belonged to the suspect who also allegedly owne...

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Suspect charged in 25 year old cold case murder of Beaumont teacher now jailed in Jefferson County

Investigators say DNA links Foreman to the killing. June 16, 2021 JEFFERSON COUNTY — Clayton B. Foreman, 61, is now in the Jefferson County Jail after he was extradited from Ohio and brought back to face a murder charged in the cold case killing of a Beaumont teacher more than 25 years ago. He was brought back Tuesday. Foreman had been held in Fran...

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Former-st-francois-county-police-chief-sentenced-to-probation-in-case-of-missing-drug-evidence


Washburn admitted to taking the methamphetamine evidence from the locker and ingesting it. June 8, 2021 The former police chief of Iron Mountain Lake was sentenced last week to probation on five charges related to a police pursuit outside of his jurisdiction that led to the discovery of missing drug evidence from his department. John Washburn, 52, ...

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Genetic genealogy leads to arrest in 1972 murder of teen girl

Police identified the suspect through his DNA left at the crime scene, using genetic genealogy June 5, 2021 Nearly a half-century after a teenage girl was viciously stabbed to death in a Chicago suburb, genetic genealogy has led to an arrest. Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, was arrested Wednesday at his home in Minnesota for the 1972 murder of Julie Ann Ha...

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Otter Tail County deputy to plead guilty to being on drugs during deadly chase

Backman reported finding drug-related items during his work as a narcotics officer, but some items were not logged into evidence, May 25, 2021 FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — An Otter Tail County Sheriff's deputy will plead guilty to a misconduct charge that says he was on drugs during a deadly vehicle pursuit last year in Fergus Falls, Minn. Kelly Douglas B...

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Rifle reunion: Jefferson County Sheriff’s office returns rifle stolen more than 40 years ago

"It's really crazy I never thought I'd see the gun again ever. May 31, 2021 ST. LOUIS — More than 4 decades ago, someone stole Clyde Smith's .30-06 hunting rifle. On Thursday, Smith got it back.It was stolen in 1974 from his Jefferson County home. "It's really crazy I never thought I'd see the gun again ever. We had gone on vacation to Table Rock L...

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DNA cold case: Kansas ex-con charged in unsolved 1979 murder of Colorado woman

"Investigators collected several pieces of evidence in 1979, including the killer's DNA from semen found inside Day's body". March 29, 2021 GREELEY, Colo. — A Kansas man with a lengthy rap sheet has been charged with murder in the 41-year-old slaying of a Colorado college worker found sexually assaulted and strangled in her car. James Herman Dye, 6...

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Charges: Narcotics investigator tested positive for fentanyl on the job

Backman did not log some seized drug paraphernalia into evidence February 24, 2021 (FOX 9) - Charges say a narcotics investigator from Fergus Falls, Minnesota was under the influence of fentanyl while driving a squad car. Otter Tail County Sheriff's Deputy Kelly Backman, 43, was charged with one count of fourth-degree DWI and one count of public of...

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Pulaski deputy detective suspended

Suspension happened after an audit of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department evidence room February 25, 2021 Feb. 25—The Pulaski County Sheriff's Department has suspended a deputy, Detective Jason Woodruff, pending a review by the merit board, according to a press release from the department. Woodruff's suspension happened after an audit of the Pu...

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Ex-Hazel Park detective charged with embezzling over $65,000

Enter Headline here February 16, 2021 A former Hazel Park police detective who resigned from the department more than three years ago, is facing embezzlement and other charges after authorities say he siphoned more than $65,000 in asset forfeiture funds from the department. Sean Boucher, 45, of Warren turned himself Wednesday to Michigan State Poli...

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Sheriff makes push to return items to owners

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has started a campaign to encourage people to reclaim lost or stolen items that have been recovered. Enter Article DATE HERE The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has started a campaign to encourage people to reclaim lost or stolen items that have been recovered. Through the initiative, called "Found Prope...

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California Police Department hit with misconduct allegations

California Police Department hit with misconduct allegations. After noticing some concerning habits in the California Police Department's evidence handling process and the integrity of its leadership, a group of officers say they tried to escalate their concerns about the department's operations to their leaders in the agency and the city of Califo...

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Former Harrison County Sheriff Deputy charged with felony of tampering with physical evidence

Lawson is accused of destroying the original evidence log with the purpose to impair or obstruct investigations related to public corruption, felony tampering, and/or felony distribution of a controlled substance. January 14, 2021 A former Harrison County Sheriff Deputy has been charged with two felony counts of tampering with physical evidence in ...

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DNA connects St. Louis man to cold cases in Arizona, more victims possible

Lance David Ray was arrested and charged with crimes from 20 years ago. He's accused of killing a man and kidnapping and sexually assaulting two teens at gunpoint December 29, 2020 ST. LOUIS — A man who most recently lived in St. Louis has been arrested and charged in several cold case crimes – including murder – from 20 years ago in Arizona. And i...

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Omaha Police are working through 1,700 untested rape kits in effort to solve cold cases

OPD received a $1.9 million federal grant two years ago to help solve these cases December 11, 2020 OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The Omaha Police Department has sent roughly a third of its untested rape kits to the lab so far. However as 6 News learned Friday, the results of these tests are just the beginning to come in. "The biggest challenge is actually ...

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Ex-Plymouth County deputy pleads not guilty to stealing drugs

Leusink is accused of taking the drugs from homes while enforcing search warrants, stealing pills that had been collected December 1, 2020 E MARS, Iowa -- A former Plymouth County Sheriff's deputy has pleaded not guilty to stealing prescription medications from homes and the department's evidence room. Aaron Leusink, 41, of Le Mars, entered his wri...

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Iowa audit: Problems with sheriff's evidence room integrity

49 pills of both over-the-counter and prescription antipsychotic medications and of unknown substances missing from the evidence room Enter Article DATE HERE LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — A new report confirmed problems with the integrity of the evidence room of the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office in northwestern Iowa, according to the Iowa State Audi...

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Ex-Minneapolis officer indicted in drug theft, extortion case

Charges allege Jindra in one case confiscated heroin and meth during a reported drug overdose call, and pocketed the drugs instead of bringing them to the police evidence room November 06, 2020 A former Minneapolis police officer has been indicted on 11 counts related to abusing his position as a street cop to steal drugs, including meth, hero...

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Officer accuses East Cleveland Police sergeant of attempting to steal drugs seized as evidence (video)

We set up his body camera to watch us as we did the evidence," the officer told an investigator during the internal affairs investigation November 2, 2020 By Hannah Catlett | November 2, 2020 at 9:02 PM EST - Updated November 2 at 9:10 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - An East Cleveland Police supervisor is accused, by one of his officers, of attempting ...

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DNA leads to arrest in Wisconsin woman's 34-year-old cold case murder

When presented with the DNA evidence, Lou Griffin stated that he must have had sex with her (Holstead) but he never killed (Holstead) October 31, 2020 A Wisconsin man has been arrested in the cold case rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman 34 years ago. Investigators said the victim, Lisa Holstead, and the man now charged with her murder in 1986 w...

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1266 Hits

Former deputy charged with six felonies


Other items retrieved included multiple evidence bags from the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office which were either ripped open or left unsealed September 24, 2020 PLYMOUTH CO. — A total of 11 charges, including six felonies, were filed into the Iowa District Court for Plymouth County against former Plymouth County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Leusink, on ...

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1181 Hits

IML police chief arrested, charged with stealing drug evidence, false impersonation

admitted to taking the methamphetamine evidence from the locker and ingesting it September 21, 2020 The police chief of Iron Mountain Lake has been arrested and faces felony charges this week following an alleged police pursuit outside of his jurisdiction that reportedly led to the discovery of missing drug evidence at the Iron Mountain Lake Police...

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1167 Hits

Watseka Police Chief Douglas ISP Investigation - Search Warrants Issued For Officer's Bank Records - "If No One Cooperated This Will All Go Away"

Do you condone members of your police department refusing to cooperate with a criminal investigation regarding missing evidence? Enter Article DATE HERE The Watseka Police Chief Jeremy Douglas is tangled in a web of actions that raise numerous concerns for the rule of law in Watseka. The fact he is still the Police Chief makes us wonder what t...

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1277 Hits

Attorney general announces DNA "hits" from rape kit testing effort

Of 16 kits that were uploaded to CODIS, the national DNA database of prior offenders, 11 generated matches. September 9, 2020 An ongoing initiative to process untested sexual assault kits in Missouri has produced 11 matches to DNA profiles of known criminal offenders, according to a Wednesday news release from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt...

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Clifton PD returns U.S. Navy Captain's sword seized in 2008 as a result of an arrest


During the audit, numerous items of stored evidence were able to be disposed of or returned to the owner. September 1, 2020 CLIFTON, TX — An audit of the Clifton Police Department evidence room lead to the return of a sword that was seized in 2008 as a result of an arrest. The department says the audit was conducted recently. During the audit, nume...

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Auburn police officers disciplined

McCoy said he does not believe the weapons were stolen from the evidence room, but rather that their destruction by the department was not properly documented August 27, 2020 AUBURN — Two Auburn police officers were handed unpaid suspensions Thursday after an internal investigation involving cash and weapons missing from the department's evidence r...

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