Smith told investigators he was prescribed morphine and oxycodone for chronic back pain. His dependence on painkillers spiraled into addiction that "knows no boundaries and crosses socioeconomic lines October 13, 2016 LARGO — Supervisors noticed when former Deputy Steven Jared Smith's work performance started to slip. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gu...

A judge ordered Johnson County last month to pay Helen McCommas $20,169.52 for seven firearms and about 10,000 rounds of ammunition that either disappeared or were destroyed after sheriff's officers seized them in 2013. October 12, 2016 CLEBURNE Issues at the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, which is under investigation by the Texas Rangers, le...

Enter Headline here October 20, 2016 LANSING, MI (WLMI) -- The Michigan State Police are now investigating the handling of evidence at the Ingham County Sheriff's Department. WLNS-TV in Lansing is reporting Ingham County Prosecutor Gretchen Whitmer asked for the investigation. A sewage leak in 2012 destroyed some evidence at the sheriff's departmen...

Rape kits—more than 100,000 of them, as of 2014—have often languished for years in police warehouses and crime labs, going untested due to a lack of funds and, some argue, contempt for victims. October 7, 2016 President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that guarantees s...

"It appeared as if he was trying to hammer himself into the secure evidence room within the police department," Callihan said during an afternoon news conference. Enter Article DATE HERE JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown police officer who overdosed on Sept. 18 inside the Public Safety Building on Washington Street was identified Friday as William Sli...

Daryl Holloway Was Wrongfully Convicted Of Sexual Assault and Armed Burglary in 1993 Enter Article DATE HERE Daryl Holloway was released from Green Bay Correctional Institution Wednesday morning after serving 24 years for crimes he did not commit.  Holloway was convicted of sexual assault and armed burglary in 1993. He was sentenced to 12...

Nearly $10,000 — including some logged as evidence against Aubrey Earl Rye, a 52-year-old Interlochen man, who was convicted of armed robbery in 2014 — vanished from the MSP Cadillac post sometime after Rye was arrested on Dec. 8, 2013. October 8, 2016 TRAVERSE CITY — A Grand Traverse County prosecutor hopes just a few weeks are left in a lengthy i...

Callihan identified the officer who allegedly overdosed as Officer William Slisz, a multi-year Johnstown Police Department veteran and a member of the Cambria County Drug Task Force. October 8, 2016 The initial investigation into a Johnstown police officer's alleged overdose has shown that Johnstown police Chief Craig Foust knew of a potential brea...

Officials announced a 30-year-old cold case has been solved Wednesday when a DNA test identified human remains discovered by a fisherman decades ago. October 7, 2016 According to The Roanoke Times, authorities believe the boy drowned in May 1985 while fleeing a gas station in Covington that he or a friend may have firebombed. He was 17 years old at...

"I loved (being an Iowa state trooper)," Haugen said. "It was very rewarding. I loved helping people." Enter Article DATE HERE "Those drugs will hook you and they will suck you right in." FOREST CITY, Iowa -- Michael Haugen has more time these days to reflect on his life as a small-town Iowa boy who grew up to be a proud lawman. "I loved (bein...

A western Pennsylvania police chief has been placed on paid leave in the wake of an officer's on-duty drug overdose in the police station. October 7, 2016 JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) – A western Pennsylvania police chief has been placed on paid leave in the wake of an officer's on-duty drug overdose in the police station. Johnstown solicitor Carl Beard say...

Enter Headline here Oct. 7, 2016 Johnstown's police chief has been placed on paid leave in the wake of an officer's on-duty drug overdose in the police station. Johnstown solicitor Carl Beard says Friday that Chief Craig Foust's leave is a "precautionary measure for everybody's protection." The city planned a news conference later in the afternoon....

In September 2014 Foley pleaded guilty to tampering with substances, two counts of possession of cocaine and OxyContin, and two counts of larceny of an illicit drug. He was charged in August 2013 after an internal and state police investigation found he had been stealing drugs seized from other crimes and stored in the department's evidence locker....

Sullivan told the council that both a review being supervised by Town Solicitor Lisa Maki and an investigation of the evidence room by investigators from the state attorney general's office will continue. October 6, 2016 BRAINTREE – Only one town councilor asked a question as Mayor Joseph Sullivan appeared before the council Tuesday night to give a...

Haugen was accused of taking approximately 150 prescription pills from six criminal cases from 2014 to 2016 valued at more than $500. October 6, 2016 MASON CITY — A former Iowa state trooper has admitted to stealing pain pills from the evidence room at the agency's Mason City post and altering documents about the evidence.Michael Haugen, 32, Forest...

NA was also the missing link detectives needed to place Dunlap at the scene of White's murder. October 4, 2016 AN BERNARDINO >> Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a man already on death row with the 1991 murder of Devore resident Cynthia "CJ" White. On May, 27, 1991, San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies investigated a reported death at a home...

Move comes after 5 Investigates first reported missing drugs, money from department evidence room​ Oct 03, 2016 BRAINTREE, Mass. —5 Investigates has learned Paul Shastany, the former police chief in Stoughton, will be named the interim police chief in Braintree. The town has also hired retired Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Dan Linskey to he...

The state of Alaska has been awarded $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to process a backlog of rape kits held by the Alaska State Troopers October 4, 2016 The state of Alaska has been awarded $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to process a backlog of rape kits held by the Alaska State Troopers. Amanda Price, a senior ad...

Six months after three counties in Oregon began shipping hundreds of untested DNA samples from alleged victims of sexual assault to a Utah lab, the first results are in: Five match known offenders in a criminal database. October 3, 2016 Six months after three counties in Oregon began shipping hundreds of untested DNA samples from alleged victi...

Enter Headline here September 29, 2016 HELENA – Montana will test 1,400 rape kits dating back to 1995 that weren't submitted to the state's crime lab by local law enforcement authorities, Attorney General Tim Fox said Thursday. The state also will add personnel to track the kits, counsel victims and investigate when DNA from the kits result in rape...

It wasn't the first time someone claimed a Krispy Kreme doughnut was a type of drug. But the joke wasn't funny for a Florida man who was arrested when an officer mistook doughnut glaze for methamphetamine. September 29, 2016 It wasn't the first time someone claimed a Krispy Kreme doughnut was a type of drug. But the joke wasn't funny...

The evidence room at the Braintree Police Departmentseems to have been about as well organized as a household junk drawer —an emblem of shoddy leadership by department command staff and, even more, of the sorry state of the officer left in charge. September 28, 2016 The evidence room at the Braintree Police Department seems to have been about as we...

Mark Maxson, 55, was freed from Stateville Correctional Center on Tuesday after DNA testing showed another man, Osborne Wade, allegedly killed 6-year-old Lindsey Murdock on the Far South Side. September 30, 2016 A Chicago man released from prison after DNA evidence showed he was wrongfully convicted of a 1992 murder is seeking $54 million in a laws...

The "Survivors' Bill of Rights Act" unanimously passed Congress on Wednesday and is on its way to be signedby President Obama. This is the first federal rights bill specifically provided for sexual assault survivors. September 30, 2016 The "Survivors' Bill of Rights Act" unanimously passed Congress on Wednesday and is on its way to be signed by Pre...

Zieler was in Lee County jail on a felony aggravated battery charge for shooting his son with a pellet gun in August when a DNA test matched him to evidence found at the scene of the murders 26 years ago. September 29, 2016 Although Jan Cornell never stopped hoping for closure in the brutal 1990 murders of her daughter Robin Cornell and r...

Marlowe isn't alone. An estimated 400,000 untested rape kits languish nationwide, according to the US Department of Justice. Now, Marlowe and other rape survivors like her are turning to the courts, claiming that cities that ignore potential DNA evidence are violating survivors' civil rights. September 28, 2016 Heather Marlowe was raped at a party ...

According to confidential police sources, the Sergeant unknowingly recorded himself on duty last month. It shows him enter his private office at the police station, grab what appears to be marijuana, then drive to his girlfriend's house. August 27, 2016 GRANTS, N.M. (KRQE) – A police sergeant in New Mexico was arrested Wednesday, accused of stealin...

Hinds said that "what the mayor is doing is nothing more than finger-pointing and trying to cover his own" position. September 27, 2016 Braintree's deputy police chief was placed on leave Monday amid continued fallout from a department evidence room scandal that has forced prosecutors to drop dozens of criminal cases. Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan place...

Norman Leo Howard III, 44, of Uniontown entered the plea in Fayette County court to charges of theft, tampering with evidence and obstructing the administration of law. A sentencing hearing date has not been set. September er 22, 2016 A former Redstone Township police officer pleaded guilty this week to stealing money and a computer from a police e...

Warham then told another detective that he was in possession of the missing lights and said "that it was a stupid thing to do," according to the criminal complaint. September 26, 2016 PITTSBURGH - A retired Pittsburgh police officer was charged via summons Friday with receiving stolen property, police said. Authorities said their investigation dete...

Evidence-keeping sloppy in 4 of 8 constable's offices September 25, 2016 With Harris County's Precinct 4 Constable's Office mired in scandal over the improper destruction of 21,000 pieces of evidence, serious evidence cataloging and control problems also have been uncovered in the constables' offices in Precincts 3,6 and 7, according to interviews ...

She wasn't doing her job and sometimes appeared hung over and "out of it." Officers couldn't get the evidence they needed for court hearings. September 24, 2016 BRAINTREE — For months, police in this suburban police department had complained about Susan Zopatti, a veteran officer who was in charge of the evidence room. She wasn't doing her job and ...

The audit would reveal that over $400,000 was missing from the evidence room, as well as somewhere between 60 to 70 guns. Additionally, "thousands" of drug samples were found to be missing, or mismanaged. September 24, 2016 BRAINTREE — Colleagues of Susan Zopatti, the officer in charge of the Braintree Police Department evidence room, saw her exhib...

Heroin isn't new in Cincinnati, but the recent surge in overdoses is being blamed on an even more potent drug called carfentanil. It's 100 times stronger than fentanyl, a more common synthetic opioid that is itself much stronger than heroin. Carfentanil is used to sedate elephants. It can be dangerous to even touch it without gloves. September 25, ...

Braintree Police Chief Russell Jenkins said his retirement is because Mayor Joseph Sullivan "wants new leadership" of the department. Sep 23, 2016 BRAINTREE - Police Chief Russell Jenkins has suggested he was forced into retirement by Mayor Joseph Sullivan. In an email to his officers Wednesday night, Jenkins said he wanted to stay on to resolve th...

A police officer has resigned while being investigated for allegedly stealing evidence September 23, 2016 LEE, Mass. — A police officer has resigned while being investigated for allegedly stealing evidence.  The district attorney's office says Ryan Lucy, one of two evidence officers for the Lee Police Department, resigned and entered substance...

An audit on July 15, 2016 reported more than 2000 property items noted in databases could not be found on property room shelves. An exhaustive effort to clean up that room has whittled the number to fewer than 500.Precinct 2 management is convinced none of them are related to active criminal cases. Leadership blames the errors on a lack of proper p...

The department has been investigating the "internal theft" ever since Chief of Police Melanie Bevan was sworn in seven months ago September 22, 2016 BRADENTON — There is money missing from the Bradenton Police Department's property and evidence room. The exact amount is not yet known. The department has been investigating the "internal theft" ever ...

Alcala is imprisoned in California's Corcoran State Prison and is sentenced to death. He has been connected to six murders in two states, though authorities estimate he may have killed up to 130 people across the country. September 21, 2016 An imprisoned serial killer who appeared on "The Dating Game" before police threw him in jail has been charge...

A smooth talker with a near-genius IQ, Alcala preyed on young attractive women, luring some of them by telling them he was a professional photographer who wanted to enter their pictures in a photography contest. After killing them, Alcala placed their bodies in grotesque poses, sometimes photographing them. September 21, 2016 Convicted California s...

Enter Headline here September 21, 2016 5 Investigates learned Wednesday Chief Russell Jenkins, who has served as chief for the past four years, will retire Oct. 7. Jenkins has been been on the department for more than 30 years. Several criminal cases have already been dropped by the Norfolk County District Attorney's office because drug evidence wa...

The opioid epidemic has already claimed more than 165,000 American lives September 19, 2016 A searing new report from the Associated Press claims that the makers of opioid painkillers, the dangerous drugs at the center of the tragic overdose crisis, outspent the US gun lobby on lobbying and campaign contributions by 8:1. The report looked at the pe...

The alleged mistress for whom a now-jailed former Deschutes County Sheriff's Office captain stole more than $200,000 pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents on Thursday, according to the United States Attorney's Office. September 17, 2016 The alleged mistress for whom a now-jailed former Deschutes County Sheriff's Office captain...

The case would be the 12th to be dismissed since Braintree officials announced that they had discovered major problems in the police department's evidence room and had hired an outside auditor. September 17, 2016 According to The Patriot Ledger , the Norfolk District Attorney's office said Friday that it will drop the charges, which dated back to 2...

In fact, in some states, particularly on the West Coast, departments now employ civilians to manage evidence rooms because police officers find the work tedious, Latta said. September 26, 2016 Neal SimpsonThe Patriot Ledger Friday Posted at 7:21 AM Updated at 9:05 AM Share By Neal SimpsonThe Patriot Ledger BRAINTREE – The picture painted by the aud...

In the settlement reached with the pro bono law firm Public Counsel, the city agreed to build 388 lockers for the property of homeless people and to stop enforcing three laws that prohibit tents, personal property and overnight sleeping on public property. September 11, 2016 Homeless residents of Pomona will be provided storage for their property a...

A central Missouri prosecutor says she's reviewing all cases her office has handled since 2013 involving items that were kept in a sheriff's department evidence room she believes was improperly secured. September 14, 2016 LINN (AP) — A central Missouri prosecutor says she's reviewing all cases her office has handled since 2013 involving items that ...

  Included in a stack of slide shows and other handouts from a two-day class held in 2013 by the International Association for Property and Evidence was a survey with 21 questions about department practices on evidence and property. Whoever filled out the survey – it doesn't say – wrote down "X" marks indicating "no" next to 11 of the practice...