DNA testing, genealogy tools help solve 1980 Pa. cold case murder


Enter Headline here May 31, 2022 WOLF CREEK, Pa. - Pennsylvania state police say they have solved the slaying of a Chicago man whose burning body was found 42 years ago near Interstate 80 in a northwestern Pennsylvania town. Edwin Rodriguez was identified through the use of DNA testing and genealogy tools. He was 18 when he and a family friend...

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Misleading changes to search warrant kicked off investigation that revealed $200k in missing drug money: AG


Criminal theft and forgery charges were filed Tuesday against Burkhart, 56, March 18, 2022 Retired Lancaster police officer John Burkhart had "carte blanche" as the officer in charge of the county's drug task force, according to court records filed Tuesday. And that's why no one noticed $200,000 of seized money had vanished over five years under hi...

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Cold case murder of girl, 9, in 1964 finally solved, police said (57 years later)


A Pennsylvania State Police DNA lab was able to develop a suspect profile based on a DNA sample left on Marise's jacket February 8, 2022A 57-year-old cold case involving the brutal sexual assault and murder of a 9-year-old girl was solved using genetic genealogy, police in Pennsylvania announced. Marise Ann Chiverella was killed on March 18, 1964, ...

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Missing evidence prompts prosecutors to drop all charges against alleged drug dealer


"It's very upsetting, it's devastating. He's my only sibling," said Sharon Jonas, whose brother Gary Grubbs died two years ago from an overdose. November 24, 2021 PITTSBURGH — Prosecutors have dropped all charges against an alleged drug dealer after a mixup involving evidence against him. That's angering the sister of a man whose overdose death hel...

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PA State Police Corporal Accused of Stealing Heroin from Evidence Room

November 14, 2021 Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Corporal Brian Rickard was charged today with crimes related to obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, forgery, tampering with records and evidence, theft, obstructing administration of law, and unlawful use of a computer. Charges were filed by the Pennsylvania State Po...

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More details emerge involving ex-State College police officer accused of on-duty theft of vape pen

41-year-old ex-officer Chris Tooley — who resigned before the completion of an internal review — risked his career for a purple vape pen with three voltage levels. July 28, 2021 More details are emerging surrounding a former State College police officer who faces charges after being accused of stealing a $35 marijuana-related vape pen while on duty...

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Former State College officer charged with stealing evidence

Police officer is facing charges after the department discovered he had allegedly taken evidence for his own personal use. Enter Article DATE HERE STATE COLLEGE, Pa.(WTAJ) — A former State College police officer is facing charges after the department discovered he had allegedly taken evidence for his own personal use. The Investigation from Pe...

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Former N. Braddock police officer pleads guilty to theft

McKeesport, pleaded guilty to one count of theft, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstruction after being charged with stealing money March 4, 2021 A former police officer for the North Braddock and Blawnox departments pleaded guilty to stealing money that had been seized as evidence. Joseph Lynn, 34, of McKeesport, pleaded gu...

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Retired PPD detective charged for allegedly letting informant raid evidence locker

Officer allegedly allowed an informant who was owed money by the department to take valuable property out of evidence in lieu of payment, including a power washer. February 18, 2021 A former Philadelphia police detective who abruptly retired less than two weeks ago is now facing multiple misdemeanor charges for allegedly letting a confidential info...

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Former Cumru Township police lieutenant sentenced to 9 years in prison on child pornography offenses

He had been an evidence custodian for Cumru police. November 3, 2020 A former Cumru Township police lieutenant was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Easton to nine years in federal prison for transporting 257 child pornography images to his home computer. Timothy Woll, a 29-year veteran township police officer, was also ordered by District...

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Ex-officer charged with stealing from Blawnox, North Braddock police

State police learned of a report of missing cash from North Braddock Police Department evidence Enter Article DATE HERE A former police officer is charged with stealing from the North Braddock and Blawnox police departments while he was employed at both agencies. Joseph Andrew Lynn, 34, of McKeesport, is facing multiple charges including theft...

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Internal audit reveals $150,000 missing from Lancaster County Drug Task Force

  It is a case of internal theft as the funds would have been kept in a secured area at their headquarters. May 2 ,2020 LANCASTER COUNTY — Officials say that an internal audit of the Lancaster County Drug Task Force revealed that $150,000 has gone missing. Task Force officials say the discrepancy was discovered on April 20, 2020 and belie...

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Sharon police incinerate years' worth of drug evidence

With crime down temporarily, there was time for spring cleaning May 17, 2020 SHARON — With people confined to indoors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Sharon Police Department had a little time on their hands. And the department has devoted that extra time to a spring cleanup of its evidence holding area. Sharon police Capt. Travis ...

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Philadelphia To Pay $4.15M To Man Over Wrongful Conviction

"It's a happy moment for me. It's been a long hard fight," January 3, 2020 PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $4.15 million to a man who spent 24 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, one of the largest such payouts in city history. City officials agreed last week to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by Shaurn...

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No jail time for Elizabeth Boro ex-police chief who stole heroin from evidence room

Butler explained he became addicted after taking prescribed Vicodin (opioid painkillers) for neck and back pain and blamed the doctors Enter Article DATE HERE Former Elizabeth Borough police Chief Timothy Butler will not serve any jail time after pleading guilty to emptying his department's evidence room of thousands of packets of heroin to fe...

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Allegheny County DA’s Office Collects About 700 Guns In Annual Gun Turn-In Day

Local police departments who don't need to keep guns in their evidence room can turn them in to the district attorney's office. October 8, 2019 SCOTT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) – About 700 guns from local law enforcement departments were collected by the Allegheny County District Attorney's office. The Allegheny County DA's Twitter account shared a photo...

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Narcotics cop busted for using confiscated Porsche on stepdaughter’s school prom day

Police said Coolen seized the Porsche Cayenne SUV on April 16 during a drug investigation that resulted in an arrest and placed it on a department property receipt,​ October 5, 2019 A 24-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department assigned to the Narcotics Field Unit was arrested Thursday and charged with using a 2018 Porsche he confiscated ...

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Seized guns, OT piling up for some sheriffs' offices

Valley officials support the law, which is meant to remove weapons from the hands of domestic abusers, Enter Article DATE HERE More than 1,200 seized weapons may be in the hands of the Valley's five county sheriffs offices at any given time, according to department officials. That number has been rising so much since a new state law was enacte...

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Beaver County Commissioner Sandie Egley questioned why the county has to take responsibility for seized weapons.

Enter Headline here September 4, 2019 BEAVER — A county commissioner is questioning why the county has to hold firearms surrendered as part of final protection-from-abuse orders. Commissioner Sandie Egley questioned Sheriff Tony Guy, who has been working with Beaver County Public Works to expand the size of his evidence room, about the requirements...

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Ex-Police Chief Admits to Stealing Heroin From Evidence Room

Authorities say Butler became addicted to heroin after he was prescribed Vicodin for neck and back pain. Enter Article DATE HERE ELIZABETH, PA. (AP) — A Pennsylvania community's former police chief has admitted stealing thousands of small bags of heroin and fentanyl from his department's evidence room. Timothy Butler pleaded guilty Wednesday t...

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West Side police to dispose of drugs with incinerator

The device, which cost $4,500, will be available to the 27 police departments on the West Side that belong to the association. June 20, 2019 KINGSTON TWP. — Police on the West Side of Luzerne County now have a new way to dispose of drugs and paraphernalia: burn them up in an incinerator. The Back Mountain Police Association on Wednesday unveiled th...

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Feds seize over $1 billion of cocaine in historic bust in Philadelphia, officials say

Federal officials made a massive cocaine bust in Philadelphia Tuesday, seizing an estimated 16.5 tons of the drug from a ship there June 20, 2019 Federal officials made a massive cocaine bust in Philadelphia Tuesday, seizing an estimated 16.5 tons of the drug from a ship there -- with a street value of over $1 billion, officials said. The historic ...

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Former Fairview Township Police officer loses appeal of federal conviction for stealing drug money

Baker claimed at trial that he only intended to keep the stolen money temporarily, but prosecutors pointed out there was no way for him to return the cash once he took it. May 31, 2019 YORK COUNTY — A former Fairview Township Police officer serving time in federal prison for stealing cash while on duty had his felony theft convictions upheld by a f...

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Former Steelton cop gets probation for stealing money from evidence department

Rupert stole money from the Steelton Police Department evidence room from Aug. 19, 2009, until "on or about" Feb. 20, 2017. May 2, 2019 Former Steelton police officer Scott Rupert was sentenced to two years' probation in Dauphin County Court on April 4 after pleading guilty to stealing money from the department evidence room. Rupert, 47, of Newberr...

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Backlog of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania could be cleared by this fall

The backlog of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania has dropped almost 90 percent -- from more than 3,000 in 2016 to 339 by the end of 2018, the state's auditor general announced on Thursday. April 11, 2019 y Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com The backlog of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania has dropped almost 90 percent -- from more than 3,000 ...

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New Elizabeth Borough police chief working to move department past scandal

Chief Tim Butler, who resigned before being charged with stealing drugs from the evidence locker April 5, 2019 ELIZABETH BOROUGH, Pa. - Nearly four months after a scandal rocked the Elizabeth Borough Police Department, the new chief is taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. In a one-on-one interview with Channel 11, new Police Chief Bil...

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Police make arrest in 30-year-old cold case of a murdered Philly woman

Voci says with the developments in DNA and other technologies, this case should serve as an example to families of cold case victims. March 14, 2019 PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Police have arrested the former boyfriend of a Philadelphia woman, found dead in Montgomery County 30 years ago. It was November 1, 1988 state police found the body of 3...

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Former Steelton officer accused of stealing approximately $1,000 from department’s evidence room

Police evidence computer user history which revealed that Rupert was the last officer who handled the missing currency, JANUARY 18,2019 DAUPHIN COUNTY — A former Steelton Police officer has been charged with a misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking, court documents show. Scott Rupert, 47, is accused of stealing approximately $1,000 from the ...

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Former Elizabeth Borough chief charged with stealing drug evidence

Thousands of empty bags of heroin were found throughout Butler's office, authorities said. December 21, 2018 Former Elizabeth Borough police Chief Timothy Butler, who resigned Tuesday night, is accused of stealing drugs from the department's evidence room. Thousands of empty bags of heroin were found throughout Butler's office, authorities said. He...

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US: Ex-cop Pleads Guilty in Police Corruption Scandal


Court documents say that in October 2016, Rayam and other officers were chasing a suspect who suddenly threw nine ounces of cocaine out of his car window. Instead of placing the drugs in the police evidence room, Rayam suggested selling them. November 8, 2018 A Philadelphia police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to selling drugs with corrupt member...

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No jail time for police officer who stole drugs from evidence locker; says he has opioid addiction


Flowers became addicted to painkilling drugs over the years because he suffered from chronic back issues and other health concerns September 28, 2019 HARRISBURG — A former Lower Swatara Township police officer who pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the department's evidence locker will not spend any time behind bars. Scott M. Flowers, 39, of Har...

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Ex-Smith Township police chief guilty of $10k theft


Guilty on charges of theft in office and grand theft for taking about $10,000 from the police department's evidence locker Enter Article DATE HERE YOUNGSTOWN John Siranovic, former Smith Township police chief, brought shame upon not only himself but all law-enforcement officers, assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor Ken Cardinal said Wednesday....

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Bensalem police, FBI seize $1.2M in pills from alleged Lower Bucks pill ring (Stolen From Waster Disposal Facility


$1.2 million dollars worth of discarded pills stolen by employees at a Falls waste disposal facility and resold Enter Article DATE HERE It started with a small-time pot bust, and over months the investigation grew. Now Bensalem police say they and the FBI have shut down a major drug ring and seized $1.2 million dollars worth of discarded pills...

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Ex-Lower Swatara police officer to be sentenced over drug theft from evidence locker


An audit of the evidence locker done by the Criminal Investigation Division and the department showed that four evidence envelopes had been opened, narcotics taken from inside, and the envelopes resealed. August 15, 2018 Former Lower Swatara Township police Officer Scott M. Flowers is to be sentenced in Dauphin County Court on Sept. 28, after plead...

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Up for auction: Crime evidence, unclaimed lost items from West Chester’s police property room


A wide assortment of electronics, knives, tools, jewelry, even clothes — will soon be listed for sale on PropertyRoom.com, July 20, 2018 WEST CHESTER TWP. — A hodgepodge of property that was either evidence in a crime or found on the streets of West Chester Twp. will soon be available for purchase in an online auction. And starting prices are one c...

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Man Arrested in 1992 Murder of Teacher After DNA Website Links Him to Killing


Rowe is the latest to be arrested after being identified through a genealogy July 20, 2018 Police have arrested a popular Pennsylvania DJ in the cold case killing of a young woman who was sexually assaulted and murdered in her home back in 1992. Christy Mirack was just 25 years old when she was beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted in her Greenf...

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DNA and Family Trees to Crack Five More Cold Cases


Police arrested a D.J. in Pennsylvania and a nurse in Washington State this week, the latest examples of the use of an open-source ancestry site since the break in the Golden State killer case. June 29, 2018 When the Golden State Killer case was cracked in April with the help of a genealogist and an open-source ancestry site, many wondered if this ...

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Crime lab chemist charged in federal court with stealing alprazolam


The crime lab gets federal money, so stealing evidence from the lab is a federal crime. June 25, 2018 A former chemist at the Allegheny County Crime Lab has been charged with stealing alprazolam, the active ingredient in Xanax, that had been seized as evidence in a federal drug investigation. Matthew Ieraci, 28, of Baldwin Borough, was federally ch...

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Ex-Smith Township police chief indicted in $10K theft

Investigators accuse John Siranovic of stealing about $10,000 from the police department's evidence room while he served as the chief. May 12, 2018 YOUNGSTOWN A former Smith Township police chief has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Investigators accuse John Siranovic of stealing about $10,000 from the police department's evidence room w...

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Police captain: Fired officer told son to delete evidence from phone

Cellphones issued by the police department are not allowed to be used by anyone other than the officers it is issued to, in accordance with policy, Bennick said. Enter Article DATE HERE SUNBURY — Sunbury Police Captain Steve Bennick testified on Monday that fired Cpl. Jamie Quinn told him that she instructed her son to deny viewing a sexually ...

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Former police officer charged after allegedly stealing from evidence locker

Enter Headline here March 22, 2018 LOWER SWATARA, Pa. — A former Lower Swatara Township Police Department officer is being charged by the Dauphin County District Attourney's Office for allegedly stealing drugs from an evidence locker at the Lower Swatara Township Police Department. Scott Flowers, 39, of Harrisburg, has been charged with four counts...

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Former Johnstown police officer sentenced to house arrest for overdose-related charges

Slisz was accused of obtaining an envelope containing 48 suspected stamp bags of heroin and six pills from a temporary evidence locker, where drugs were stored before being transferred by an evidence custodian to a secure evidence room at a later time, as outlined by the department's procedure. Enter Article DATE HERE EBENSBURG – Former Johnst...

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Ex-police corporal gets 3 months in prison for $22K theft

A former Harrisburg police official will serve three months in prison for stealing more than $22,000 from an evidence locker. Enter Article DATE HERE HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A former Harrisburg police official will serve three months in prison for stealing more than $22,000 from an evidence locker. Sean D. Cornick was sentenced Wednesday in f...

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Former drug court judge is disbarred for stealing cocaine from evidence locker

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court disbarred a former drug court judge who pleaded guilty to stealing cocaine from an evidence locker in his courtroom. January 20, 2018 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court disbarred a former drug court judge who pleaded guilty to stealing cocaine from an evidence locker in his courtroom. In an opinion issued Thursday, the co...

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Former city police officer enters guilty plea to overdose-related charges

Slisz was accused of obtaining an envelope containing 48 suspected stamp bags of heroin and six pills from a temporary evidence locker, where drugs were stored before being transferred by an evidence custodian January 15, 2018 EBENSBURG – A former Johnstown Police Department officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to two charges related to an incident in wh...

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Former Center Twp. officer sentenced to jail in evidence room theft

State police Sgt. Daniel Mosura, who led the audit of the evidence room, testified Stone had stolen all of the opioids and heroin in the evidence room, as well as crack cocaine and some marijuana. Stone also stole more than $22,000 in cash. November 29, 2017 BEAVER — A former Center Township police officer will serve up to two years in jail after h...

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Mom dies cleaning up following son’s fatal overdose

Plummer became short of breath after cleaning up her son's overdose and was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, which is where her son was rushed just a day earlier. He died one day after his mother. November 15, 2017 A Pennsylvania coroner believes that a 69-year-old woman who died earlier this month likely came into contact with a deadly ...

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Former chief of Colebrookdale Police appeals firing

Viola failed to follow police procedures when destroying 80 marijuana plants that had been seized as evidence in two cases November 12, 2017 Colebrookdale Township, PA When former Colebrookdale Police Chief David Viola was fired in May, township officials declined to give a reason for the 16-year police veteran's termination. The reason has come to...

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Buckingham cops clear out evidence room by destroying old firearms


Drug paraphernalia, stolen items and firearms — some dating back to the 1980s — clogged the shelves. November 09, 2017 Buckingham police recently had 98 guns that were stored in the department's evidence room destroyed by a local company that salvages the parts. Empty space inside the Buckingham Police Department's evidence storage room was getting...

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Accused cop moves closer to trial

Police officer accused of stealing heroin from an evidence locker, and then overdosing while on the job November 1, 2017 Ebensburg, Cambria County Pa. - Today a former Johnstown police officer accused of stealing heroin from an evidence locker, and then overdosing while on the job, is one step closer to trial. Police say William Slisz started steal...

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