They say that smoking kills. For one man, it might have handed him a death sentence after his tossed cigarette May 10, 2019 They say that smoking kills. For one man, it might have handed him a death sentence after his tossed cigarette butt helped police solve a cold case after a DNA breakthrough. According to Fox News, Oregon native Richard E. Knap...

Investigators say the charges stem from an incident in March when several items were reported missing from the Achille Police Department's evidence room. Enter Article DATE HERE ACHILLE, Okla. – An embattled former Oklahoma mayor says it is time for him to be held accountable for his actions. Around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Durant police arres...

The Atwater evidence locker was maintained "sub par at best" without any consistency, proper oversight and included a space at a mini-storage without an alarm, according to a state Department of Justice report. May 10, 2019 The Atwater evidence locker until recently was maintained "sub-par at best" without any consistency, proper oversight and incl...

Authorities described the property as a hoarder's paradise, with guns strewn throughout several of the home's rooms. It took about 30 law enforcement personnel more than 12 hours to remove all the weapons, which included rifles, shotguns, assault weapons and pistols, authorities said. May 10, 2019 A 57-year-old man identified in court records as th...

Seattle police have solved a murder from nearly 52 years ago with the help of DNA and a family tree — a method investigators are increasingly using to crack cold cases. May 7, 2018 Susan Galvin was a 20-year-old records clerk for the department in July 1967 when she was found raped and strangled in a parking garage elevator at Seattle Center. Dozen...

The oldest evidence Nicks keeps is from a murder case back in the 1970s. May 3, 2019 As you enter the San Diego Superior Court's evidence storage vaults, the sound that greets you is rushing water. Like a spa, or a relaxing fountain. Except this water runs through a pipe overhead labeled sanitary waste. "It's funny until you have to work under it a...

Crediting DNA evidence for the break in the case, police said Lenard Chester, 58, was booked into Ventura County jail Thursday on suspicion of raping and murdering Leah Sarah Bullis, in Oxnard. May 2, 2019 A suspect in an unsolved murder case was arrested nearly four decades after the rape and slaying of an 81-year-old woman, Oxnard police said Thu...

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...

Gov. Kevin Stitt last week signed a bill to create a statewide tracking system for collecting sexual assault evidence, May 2, 2019 Oklahoma is poised to tackle a backlog of more than 7,200 untested rape kits. Gov. Kevin Stitt last week signed a bill to create a statewide tracking system for collecting sexual assault evidence, which is the first of ...

Auditors found that out of the departments analyzed, five of the seven agencies had missing money, firearms, controlled substances or drug paraphernalia from their evidence lockers, according to the report. Enter Article DATE HERE ALT LAKE CITY — A Utah State Auditor's Office report highlighted shortcomings in how many police departments store...

Police say advancements in DNA technology – and the use of public databases of genealogies May 1, 2019 The Vancouver Police Department announced Tuesday they've charged a Fairview, Oregon, man with a 25-year-old unsolved murder. On Sunday, police arrested Richard Knapp, 57. He's been booked into the Clark County Jail on a murder charge. Police decl...

Investigators discovered the pistol previously had been recovered by police in 2015 and had been marked as destroyed April 29, 2019 A retired Toledo police officer pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing guns from the department's property room that he had falsely marked as having been destroyed. Curtis Stone, Sr., 56, of Delta, Ohio, entered a...

The coalition hopes to raise $200,000 for DNA lab equipment and has launched a GoFundMe page with a starting goal of $81,000. Enter Article DATE HERE A non-profit in Utah plans to build a DNA testing lab that they say will revolutionize the handling of cold cases. The Utah Cold Case Coalition, which relies on a volunteer staff and was founded ...

He was arrested in January 2019 after DNA linked him to both Barratt's murder and the 1992 slaying of 57-year-old Marilyn Hickey April 29, 2019 BOISE, Idaho — A man accused of stabbing a Boise woman to death in 1994 was arraigned Monday afternoon. Lee Robert Miller, 54, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 49-year-old Cheryle Barrat...

Bizzell said the new test returned a DNA match for Scott, who has been charged with single counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. May 2, 2019 Authorities in North Carolina have arrested a 65-year-old Florida man and charged him in the 1972 murder of a 33-year-old mother, alleging newly tested evidence links him to the cold case. Bonnie Neigh...

The vault, in the Circuit Court Clerk's office on the first floor, housed evidence in civil and criminal cases, including handguns and long guns identified as murder weapons April 25, 2019 LOUDON — Gripping a flashlight, Loudon County Mayor Rollen "Buddy" Bradshaw ventured into the remnants of the courthouse, stepping on fallen pieces of ceiling to...

A new law in Washington eliminates the statute of limitations for sex crimes involving minors. APRIL 22, 2019 OLYMPIA, Wash. — Survivors of certain sex crimes no longer have to worry about how long they have to report the crime to authorities in Washington state. On Friday, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5649 into law, eliminating the statu...

Detectives used DNA and genealogy tracing to interview the child's father, who led detectives to the infant's mother April 20, 2019 GREENVILLE, S.C. – A 6-pound newborn girl, wrapped in newspaper and abandoned in a cardboard box in a field on a cold February, left investigators here grasping for answers for nearly three decades. On Thursday, Greenv...

Braintree police are about to put a one-of-a-kind, $500,000 evidence room into service, built in response to a scandal that shook the department. April 18, 2019 BRAINTREE − There's a whole lot of glass inside the Braintree Police Department's new evidence room, but not a single window to the outside. From where the evidence officers sit, they can l...

In 2018, authorities, with assistance from the California Department of Justice's familial DNA search team, conducted a familial DNA search to find matches to the evidence. April 18, 2019 After more than 40 years, a suspect in a pair of Atascadero murders has been identified thanks to DNA evidence, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announ...

He claims he used just a few each week. "He was in excruciating pain," said defense attorney Thomas Eoannou. April 13, 2019 Even though he stole painkillers from a community drop box, Peter J. Breitnauer says he was never an addict. The 32-year veteran of the Kenmore Police Department, who spent the last six as police chief, also says he is now fre...

Last seen over 30 years ago, William C. Reed's remains were identified in Oklahoma thanks to DNA technology. April 13, 2019h OKLAHOMA CITY — (AP) - An Arkansas man whose remains were found in Oklahoma has been identified more than 30 years after his death thanks to advances in DNA technology. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Thursday...

Rowlings and Kanasevich testified that Burnett had supplied 10 kilograms of cocaine that had been stolen from an RCMP storage locker between 2010 and 2011 April 12, 2019 HALIFAX—A former Halifax-area RCMP officer convicted of seven charges in relation to stealing cocaine from a police evidence locker put his head into his hands after being found gu...

Scottsdale police used familial DNA testing to match DNA found at the crime scene to 42-year-old Ian Mitcham. Enter Article DATE HERE SCOTTSDALE, AZ — One year ago, a suspect was arrested for the murder of Allison Feldman, 31, who was found dead inside her Scottsdale home in 2015. Court records said authorities found Feldman's body nude, and d...

"I think that the law enforcement, whoever is behind the missing evidence, should be held accountable April 11, 2019 HOMERVILLE, GA (WALB) - South Georgia residents are speaking out as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) continues to look into missing evidence from the Homerville Police Department's evidence room. The Homerville Police Depart...

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 ...

The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab can currently test only 213 kits per month, with a backlog of around 10,000 kits. April 11, 2019 OLYMPIA — A bill to reduce the processing time for sexual assault kits has passed the Washington Legislature in two unanimous votes. Sexual assault kits have remained untested for over a decade in Washington. The Wa...

Police in Northern California say they used DNA evidence to arrest a suspect in the 2013 killing of a 94-year-old woman April 11, 2019 UBA CITY, Calif. (AP) - Police in Northern California say they used DNA evidence to arrest a suspect in the 2013 killing of a 94-year-old woman who was brutally murdered in her home. The Sacramento Bee reports that ...

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office has arrested a 77-year-old man in its oldest cold case — the 1972 murder of Jody Loomis. April 11, 2019 On August 23, 1972, Loomis, 20, was riding a bicycle from her Mill Creek-area home on Winesap Road to a pasture where her horse was boarded, but never made it to the field. Detectives said later that day, two...

Man is accused of taking drugs from the evidence room during his time as an officer April 10, 2019 WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A former Warner Robins Police officer faces theft and drug charges tied to his actions while he was employed by the department. An indictment returned Tuesday by the Houston County Grand Jury accuses Pratt D. Martin of theft by ta...

He was also required to give up his $105K-a-year job on the force April 10, 2019 TRENTON — Hector Gonzalez's sticky hands have landed him in the unemployment line, but he managed to avoid jail and a felony record as part of a sweetheart deal with prosecutors. The Trenton cop quietly charged with stealing from the police evidence room agreed to give...

A police source familiar with the investigation revealed to DailyMail.com that the case involved DNA evidence April 10, 2019 Police in New York City have arrested an 80-year-old man in connection with the brutal 1973 murders of two 19-year-old women in Virginia Beach. Ernest Broadnax, an ex-convict with a lengthy criminal record, was taken into cus...

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...

Mayor Ralph Washington arrested after he allegedly stole $272 from the locker. April 4, 2019 DODDRIDGE COUNTY, W.Va. (WDTV) -- The mayor of West Union was recently taken into custody after allegedly stealing money from a police evidence locker. According to Sheriff Michael Headley, he arrested Mayor Ralph Washington after he allegedly stole $272 fr...

The post announced the department was hosting its "first ever" raffle April 1, 2019 The post announced the department was hosting its "first ever" raffle, and that a $20 ticket would get the buyer a box of "goodies" from the evidence room. Though the post had the hashtag #AprilFools, the Fargo Police Department said its evidence room got calls aski...

Council members say an audit revealed 25 guns bought to outfit the department's officers were missing Enter Article DATE HERE HERTFORD, N.C. (WAVY) - Council members in a northeastern North Carolina town say an investigation into the town's police department uncovered troubling concerns. "We want to say that this council is not trying to hide ...

Williams is accused of going into an unauthorized evidence room on several occasions and pocketing marijuana and pills. Enter Article DATE HERE March 26, 2019 MARION, Ark. — There's another delay in the case of a Marion police officer charged with taking drugs from a police evidence room. Freddy Williams is accused of going into an unauthorize...

Taylor was charged after being accused of stealing painkillers from the evidence room nearly 20 times over the last three years Enter Article DATE HERE MARION, Ind. -- A former sheriff's detective from Grant County admitted to stealing drugs from the department's evidence room, but he insists he was not the only thief on the force. Shelby Tayl...

Now over four decades later, police have finally made a breakthrough, March 30, 2019 In 1973, a young couple was found dead in their home in Montana. Police investigated painstakingly for years, conducting hundreds of interviews, They even brought in a psychic to help but to no avail. Now over four decades later, police have finally made a breakthr...

"We had stuff here it was just packed up everywhere" he explained, walking through one of the newly organized rooms. Enter Article DATE HERE LAURENS Co., - He's been organizing evidence at the Laurens County Sheriff's Office for about 2 years, and the work still isn't over for Sgt. Kimbrell. "We had stuff here it was just packed up everywhere"...

The missing drugs were police dog training aids. March 27, 2019 The agreement calls for Strubel to forfeit his state certification as a police officer and spend 30 days in jail. NEW PHILADELPHIA Former Sugarcreek police officer David M. Strubel accepted a plea deal Wednesday to resolve charges that he stole drugs from the State Highway Patrol. Stru...

Sept. 6, a controlled delivery of prescription medication was made to the Mason City Police Department, 78 S. Georgia Ave., as it is a disposal site for unused or unwanted prescription medication. Severs is accused of stealing 7.5mg and 5mg hydrocodone tablets from the delivery. May 26, 2019 MASON CITY - A former Mason City Police Department employ...

"Our department joined the International Association of Property and Evidence last year," Helton said. "It's the highest level of property and evidence persons that we know out there in law enforcement that we've become aware of at all.​ May 25, 2019 The Fort Oglethorpe Police Department has reached an agreement with a Missouri company to properly ...

The task force has opened cases connected to 7,001 rape kits. Enter Article DATE HERE CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County's Sexual Assault Task Force is close to an indictment in an 800th victim's case. "We will continue to diligently work through the backlog to bring justice for every sexual assault victim," Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said. Th...

A federal contractor stole an untold number of guns from a West Virginia facility. At least one of the weapons had been marked as destroyed. March 19, 2019 he Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is reeling from revelations that a security contractor assigned to a gun-disposal facility in West Virginia stole a "substantial" number of...

More than 25 years after the crime, Pueblo County deputies arrested a suspect in a cold case murder from Texas on Thursday. March 25, 2019 PUEBLO WEST – More than 25 years after the crime, Pueblo County deputies arrested a suspect in a cold case murder from Texas on Thursday. Pueblo County Sheriff's deputies and U.S. Marshals arrested 73-year-old J...

In October of last year, the San Diego Police Cold Case Unit and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office Cold Case Unit asked the FBI's Investigative Genealogy Team for assistance with the case. March 21, 2019 SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A crime scene DNA match has, at long last, allowed homicide detectives to determine who stabbed a La Jolla mother...

Police are submitting more DNA requests than ever, creating backlogs that can last five months or longer. Enter Article DATE HERE Backlogs at state and local crime labs in testing DNA evidence from crime scenes nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017, despite $1 billion spent by the federal government since 2004 to reduce endemic delays, the nonp...

The American Fork Police Department is trying to reunite photo albums from its evidence room with their owner, and they are asking the public for its help March 20, 2019 UPDATE: American Fork police said the owner of the photo albums has been identified and contact. "Thank you so much for everyone's help," American Fork Police Department said. (KUT...

The internal investigation centers around accusations that former police chief Dennis Puskarcik took items from the evidence locker. March 15, 2019 CAMPBELL, Ohio - A Campbell police officer has been placed on administrative leave after an internal investigation into what officials say were "unfounded" allegations against the former chief. Accordin...