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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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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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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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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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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Auburn Police chief resigns over reported internal theft

McCoy said his resignation was the fallout from an incident involving evidence stolen from the police department's evidence room August 28, 2020 AUBURN, Ind. (WANE) — The longtime chief of the Auburn Police Department has resigned amid an ongoing criminal investigation. Chief Martin McCoy submitted his resignation during Thursday's Board of Public ...

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Auburn police missing cash evidence (Indiana)

  "I'm p—-ed off," McCoy said. "I am upset. You don't expect this from a police department. I wouldn't have guessed this would happen in a thousand years." August 6, 2020 AUBURN — Cash and weapons are missing from the Auburn Police Department evidence room, Police Chief Martin McCoy said in a news conference Tuesday at Auburn City Hall Council...

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Awarded $20M for a wrongful conviction, exonerated man gives back


Juan Rivera is a $20 million man, receiving the money in a settlement for the 20 years he spent in prison before DNA evidence cleared him. October 17, 2017 CHICAGO (WLS) -- Juan Rivera is a $20 million man, receiving the money in a settlement for the 20 years he spent in prison before DNA evidence cleared him. Rivera invited ABC 7 Eyewitness News t...

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DNA, Public Genealogy Databases Lead To Arrest In 1986 Chisholm Cold Case


"This is the day Nancy Daugherty's family and all of Chisholm have waited for, for over 34 years. Enter Article DATE HERE CHISHOLM, Minn. – Three decades since the rape and murder of Nancy Daugherty in the close-knit city of Chisholm, a 52-year-old man, Michael Carbo Jr., living in that very community was arrested for the crime Wednesday on pr...

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Video Footage May Indicate Police Evidence Was Compromised In Laurie

Evidence Room July 25, 2020 New video footage obtained by KRMS News might show that police evidence was compromised in the City of Laurie. The video was taken during an investigation of former police chief Mark Black and former assistant police chief Angela Nickerson, both suspended at the time. The video shows Laurie Mayor Alan Kimberling, and oth...

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Former Mansfield trooper acquitted of tampering, theft charges

Brooks was indicted by a Richland County grand jury on two counts of tampering with evidence July 17, 2020 MANSFIELD - A former trooper with the Mansfield post of the Ohio Highway Patrol was acquitted of all charges related to missing drug evidence on Thursday in Richland County Common Pleas Court. Preston Brooks, 32, of Arlington, was indicted on ...

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Former Des Moines County chief deputy charged with theft

Investigators photographed the evidence room shelves, which did not have surveillance cameras, after the call out of concern that White may try to sneak the drone into the equipment room. July 7, 2020 DES MOINES, Co., Iowa (KWQC) - A former Des Moines County Sheriff's chief deputy accused of making improper purchases is now facing a felony theft ch...

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2 Sheriff's Employees Charged in Case of Missing Evidence

1 Authorities in Kansas say two former Sedgwick County Sheriff's employees have been arrested and charged with theft and other counts after an audit uncovered nearly $150,000 missing from evidence  July 2, 2020 WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two former Sedgwick County Sheriff's employees have been arrested and charged with theft and other counts, author...

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Nearly 1,000 Pounds Of Fireworks Seized From Homes In Aurora, Elgin

Where do i put it? July 1, 2020 CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Kane County Sheriff is responding to numerous complaints about illegal fireworks and has made arrests and seized about a 1,000 pounds of fireworks from homes in Aurora and Elgin. Three people have been arrested and charges are pending. Sheriff Ron Haine said they had what looked like r...

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Arrest made after guns, $145,000 cash, drugs stolen from Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office Property and Evidence

he employee was being investigated for not following proper procedures and policy violations June 30, 2020 WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office has arrested the former Property and Evidence Supervisor on several charges connected to cash, drugs stolen from Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office Property and Evidence. Robert White was...

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Ohio police say cold case murder of 8-year-old girl solved with DNA, genetic genealogy

Cold case murder of Kelly Ann Prosser was solved using DNA and genetic genealogy June 26, 2020 An 8-year-old Ohio girl was raped and killed nearly 38 years ago by a convicted pedophile who has been dead for more than two decades, police said Friday. The cold case murder of Kelly Ann Prosser was solved using DNA and genetic genealogy, Columbus polic...

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What it can cost to get arrested at a protest

When he was finally released, the police didn't give him back any of his things — not his wallet with his bank cards and ID, not his phone, not his house keys or car keys. Instead, they kept them as evidence and sent them to the property room. June 11, 2020  When he was finally released, the police didn't give him back any of his things — not ...

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$145K cash, guns stolen from Kan. sheriff's evidence storage

We know that approximately $145,000 in money, drugs, seven guns, and power tools were stolen Enter Article DATE HERE SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office is the victim of an internal theft at their Property and Evidence storage site, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. An ongoing criminal investigation was initiated and began on...

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Paoli officer charged, pleads guilty in missing evidence investigation

Phillips was alleged to have taken items of evidence to his home and never placed them into evidence May 28, 2020 PAOLI, Ind. — Officials with Indiana State Police say a Paoli officer has been charged with conversion four months after an investigation. It dates to January when Chief Randall Sanders of the Paoli Police Department requested ISP to in...

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67-year-old man arrested for Cuyahoga Falls cold case murder from more than 30 years ago


"The Cuyahoga Falls Police have never given up on this case, it's one that they've worked on tirelessly since 1987, they just didn't have the tools to catch him until now." May 28, 2020 Blatnik Cold Case By: Courtney Shaw , Joe Pagonakis Posted at 4:29 PM, May 06, 2020 and last updated 8:30 PM, May 06, 2020 CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — After more than 30...

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Hundreds of pounds of drugs, paraphernalia destroyed from Eden Prairie evidence room

680 pounds of drugs and drug paraphernalia to be incinerated May 19, 2020 On May 5, the Eden Prairie Police Department's evidence technician and a supervisor took a road trip to a waste management facility in Alexandria where they delivered 680 pounds of drugs and drug paraphernalia to be incinerated. The items transported were once evidence for ca...

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Missing weapons not missing?

Firearms and a machete reported missing two months ago from an evidence room at the Sandusky County Courthouse have been found, or never were missing, or something. May 15, 2020 FREMONT — Firearms and a machete reported missing two months ago from an evidence room at the Sandusky County Courthouse have been found, or never were missing, or somethin...

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Arrest Made in 1987 Cold Case Murder of Barbara Blatnik Thanks to Genetic Genealogy


Porchlight Project, a nonprofit that provides assistance to families of the missing and murdered in Ohio, paid for DNA testing May 7, 2020 Cuyahoga Falls police today announced the arrest of 67-year-old James Zastawnik of Cleveland for the December 1987 murder of Barbara Blatnik. Blatnik was just 17 when her nude, strangled body was found near Blos...

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Delaware County cold case homicide from 1983 solved with help of DNA database

Detectives used Parabon Nanolabs, a DNA/genealogical database April 29, 2020 DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) – Detectives with the Delaware County Sheriff's Office say they've solved a homicide from 1983. On October 16, 1983 the body of 15-year-old John Anthony Muncy was found by a deputy along the side of the road in northern Delaware County. Investi...

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SEMO professor, students identify remains found on Charleston farm in 1979

The identification was recently made through the combined efforts of Southeast anthropology professors and students, genetic and forensic experts, DNA studies and advances in technology. April 25, 2020 After more than 40 years, an identification has been made in a cold case involving burned, unidentified human remains recovered on a farm near Charl...

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MOVING ON UP: Columbus Police making themselves at home in new facility

One locker is refrigerated for evidence, such as blood or urine, that needs to be kept cold. April 25, 2020 The Columbus Police Department officially started operations earlier this month in its new downtown station at 2330 14th St. Funded by half of a $16 million bond issue approved by voters in 2018, the new facility is intended to help the depar...

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UPDATED Police: Normal cop faces 4 felony charges in theft of $12K


He is accused of stealing $12,000 from a Normal house while responding to a 911 call about an overdose, then trying to return the money December 22, 2020 NORMAL — A Normal police officer who tried to return money stolen during a call was caught during a sting operation in Pontiac, authorities say. Brian Williams is charged with felony theft and off...

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Widow, Normal police ask court to consider motions in pending lawsuit over alleged theft by officer

The lawsuit is centered on the theft of $12,000 from Holzhauer's home. She claims a police officer took the money while in the house to investigate her husband's death. Enter Article DATE HERE NORMAL — The attorney for a Normal widow has asked a federal judge to deny a request from the town to dismiss a pending lawsuit involving an alleged the...

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Lawyers Discovered Long-Hidden Evidence at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. Now, a Death Row Inmate May Get Another Shot at Justice


Only a few weeks ago, in February, his defense attorneys found long-lost bullets that were removed from the victim's body and shell casings that were collected at the scene of the crime, all sitting in envelopes at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office Enter Article DATE HERE Documents filed this morning with the Ohio Supreme Court argue tha...

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Fort Wayne Police make arrest in cold case stabbing

Her case ran cold until detectives spent nearly a year reviewing evidence, conducting forensic testing, and interview multiple witnesses in several states including the suspect. March 25, 2020 FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) - Fort Wayne Police homicide detectives made an arrest in a cold case stemming from a 2002 stabbing that left a 17-year-old girl de...

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Arrest made in 36-year-old Newaygo County cold case

"Investigating a cold homicide case is extremely difficult but investigating a decades-old case with no body means an extraordinary amount of legwork, patience and tenacity," March 20, 2020 NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. — Nearly 37 years after a 25-year-old White Cloud man disappeared, a man has been charged with his murder. Roy Snell, 55, was charged with...

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Former Vandalia PD employee charged with misconduct and theft

She's also accused of theft for allegedly taking contraband being held as evidence from the locker that was valued over $500. March 6, 2020 FAYETTE COUNTY, IL — A former Vandalia Police Department employee has been charged in Fayette County Court with official misconduct and theft. According to court records, 29-year old Cheyenne Haxton is free on ...

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Ohio single mom's 1991 cold case murder solved using DNA uploaded to public genealogy site

"He's a ghost in the investigation,"​ March 13, 2020 A single mother's cold case murder in Ohio has been solved with an arrest after nearly 29 years. Rachael Johnson was 23 when she was raped, beaten, stabbed and set on fire on March 30, 1991. Her daughter was three at the time. On Thursday, Akron police charged Daniel Rees, 57, with the murder. Po...

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DNA helps solve 20-year cold case in Indianapolis

March 10, 2020 INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An arrest has been made in a 20-year-old murder case in Indianapolis. William Swain is charged in the October 2000 murder of 39-year-old Arthur McPhaul. Swain faces felony charges of murder, criminal deviate conduct resulting in a serious bodily injury and criminal confinement. In October of 2000, police were ca...

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Minnesota deputy accused of stealing on job convicted of misconduct, resigns

motion-activated surveillance camera in a bedroom caught officer stuffing a phone charger into his pocket while executing a search warran February 7, 2020 ST. PAUL -- A sergeant with the Ramsey County sheriff's office was convicted of misconduct of a public officer this week and subsequently resigned from his post in law enforcement, his defense at...

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Thousands of rape kits go untested in Indiana

416 were from victims who didn't want to proceed, 1,669 were identified as false reports, and 751 were from cases that had already gone through the court system where the suspect might have confessed. Enter Article DATE HERE More than 2,500 rape kits from potentially viable cases currently sit unprocessed in police and sheriff evidence rooms a...

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Internal audit of Minneapolis rape kit backlog highlights testing concerns

We need the BCA to be responsive to some of these kits," said audit committee Enter Article DATE HERE Updated: February 03, 2020 10:10 PM A new audit shows dozens of rape kits on the shelves of the Minneapolis Police Department have gone untested, even months after a backlog was first announced. Over the last two months, MPD said it had sent m...

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Documents: $4,000 in military surplus misplaced in Randolph sheriff’s office

That inventory also found that a gun held as evidence and checked out by the deputy, Roy Hardt, was not in the department's possession. It was one of 21 guns checked out by deputies from the evidence collection for use on duty. The guns were not attached to active cases, Nichols said. February 1, 2020 The Randolph County Sheriff's Department will r...

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CRIME HUNTER: DNA links 'monster' to 1976 slaying

The magic elixir for solving the case was DNA and genetic genealogy. Enter Article DATE HERE On Jan. 12, 1976, Pamela Maurer left a pal's house to get a soda from a bodega. The 16-year-old vanished into thin air and was never seen alive again. Her frozen body was found the next morning on the frozen plains outside Lisle, Illinois. She had been...

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Five years later, authorities address rape kit backlog in Flint

Leyton said in the last five years, they've been able to process all 736 backlogged rape kits, sending them to the lab. Enter Article DATE HERE FLINT, Mich — In 2015, between 230 and 250 untested rape kits were found in the city of Flint. The police chief at the time, Jim Tolbert, said authorities in the past dropped the ball. "When we were al...

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Former U.P. police officers face felony charges for alleged steroid use, distribution

The men were caught after one of their cell phones was searched during an investigation into prescription drugs missing from a police department take-back box, January 17, 2020 MARQUETTE, MI – Two former Upper Peninsula police officers are facing felony charges related to using and selling anabolic steroids, which are schedule three controlled subs...

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