Using a public database, he said, investigators matched DNA found on Cahanes' body to Thomas Lewis Garner, a 59-year-old dental hygienist from Jacksonville. March 14, 2019 In the summer of 1984, Pamela Cahanes' body was found in an overgrown lot in unincorporated Sanford. The 25-year-old had graduated from boot camp at the Orlando Naval Training Ce...

Bartow Police Department detectives arrested Stacey Lee Schaufler of Eagle Lake after it was discovered that money was missing from department evidence envelopes, and computer records had been altered, according to the BPD. March 6, 2019 BARTOW — A former Bartow Police Department evidence custodian is being accused of stealing cash seized by the de...

State Representative Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta, is the primary sponsor of House Bill 282, which would require law enforcement agencies to store sexual assault evidence kits for 50 years March 1, 2019 ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Three years after state lawmakers approved a measure to test the state's "warehoused" rape kits, lawmakers have filed another...

He had full access to the general evidence locker and was actually in charge of that and would not normally have access to the narcotics locker February 12, 21019 An Arkansas police officer was caught – on camera – stealing drugs from the evidence room, according to officials within the very same police department. Lt. Freddy Williams is charged wi...

Evidence was routinely stored in the trunks of officers' cars rather than in evidence lockers, auditors also reported. February 8, 2019 BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Despite evidence mishandling – described by an official as "sloppy" – Brunswick County's District Attorney's Office has not contacted the Brunswick County Defense Bar about cases that may have be...

For more than 10 years, his identity eluded investigators Enter Article DATE HERE About a decade ago, Fayetteville, N.C., was terrorized by a series of rapes committed on and around a major thoroughfare on the northern side of the city. From March 2006 until January 2008, the police said, a man they called the Ramsey Street Rapist assaulted vi...

According to Louisiana State Police, Corner allowed multiple pieces of evidence to be unsecured, misplaced, and lost February 22, 2019 AVOYELLES PARISH, La. (KALB) - Former Bunkie chief of police, Bobby Corner, is set to plead 'not guilty' on Tuesday at the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse to charges of malfeasance in office, malfeasance in office by ta...

North Carolina authorities said through advances in forensic science and contacting members of the victims' family trees they were able to determine the woman was the mother of the young male victim. February 6, 2019 (WYFF/NBC News) Investigators have identified a mother and son found dead at two separate crime scenes more than 20 years ago. The wo...

Williams was caught stealing methamphetamine from the evidence room for his personal consumption. January 16, 2019 Charleston, WV — To those who frequent the Free Thought Project, you will know that positions of power often attract unscrupulous individuals, who seek out this power to give themselves an advantage that doesn't come with being an aver...

Thanks to a $1.9 million grant from the Department of Justice, investigators in Mobile have found a hit on the DNA database in a rape case that's been cold for almost three decades. December 14, 2018 DOTHAN, Ala.-- Often times, victims of rape may never be able to find justice against their attacker. A rape kit performed on a three-year-old in 1989...

Key had been taking prescription medicine from people under the pretense of placing it in the city's drug take-back box, according to reports. Enter Article DATE HERE LINCOLN -- State police arrested former Police Chief Brian Key on Thursday in connection with drug-related offenses. Key, 41, is accused of tampering with physical evidence and p...

Officer was arrested  and is facing charges of grand theft, official misconduct, and possession of a controlled substance.​ December 1, 2018 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A West Palm Beach Police officer is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from a suspect she arrested in October. Officer Nicole Palladino was arrested Thursday and is facing charge...

Morrell plans on taking inventory of the room Friday. It is unclear if anything was taken.​ November 9, 2018 NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The evidence room at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court was broken into Thursday night, according to the clerk of court. Arthur Morrell said he is not sure what time it happened, but officials discovered a lock to th...

The controversy between members of the top brass is connected to the handling of things in their evidence room. Enter Article DATE HERE LAWRENCE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - There's tension within the ranks of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office. The chief of staff and operations, Cpt. Tim McWhorter, has been suspended with pay and he is fighting to c...

Roberts, who was given access to the evidence room in 2015, said he had an addiction and began taking pills from the narcotics room because he liked the way they made him feel. October 23, 2018 BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — A former Bella Vista police officer was sentenced Tuesday (Oct. 23) to 60 days in jail and six years probation for stealing prescriptio...

Now, that could change with a new ballistics technology being awarded to 22 state and local enforcement agencies all over the nation on Thursday. October 12, 2018 Sometimes it can be hard for police to trace gun shell casings back to the scene of a crime and it could take months for ballistic results to be returned back to investigators without the...

The case file on the shooting contains Florida Department of Law Enforcement documents that link a DNA profile matching Sangster to swabs of the interior of the vehicle in which Allen was found, according to the report. Enter Article DATE HERE Two men argued in a vehicle. A gun went off. Then the passenger pushed the victim's body aside and to...

Enter Headline here September 21, 2018 CONYERS — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested former Rockdale County Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Lang, 37, Thursday on multiple violations of theft by taking (firearms), a charge of theft of excess of $40,000 in US currency, and one count of violation of oath of office. Lang turned himself in at the Rock...

The disarray in Brighton's evidence collection could be why charges were dropped this week in a 2015 murder case September 12, 2018 BRIGHTON, AL (WBRC) - A murder case has been dropped in Brighton after a gun and shell casings come up missing. Court documents say Brighton Police lost the critical evidence. Brighton's chief is reorganizing because o...

This was police 'property' that was slated to be destroyed," - "no actual case evidence was tainted or stolen" September 12, 2018 Two civilian employees of the Miami Police Department were quietly fired this week after they were caught taking police "property" from storage lockers and placing it inside their own cars, a Miami Police spokesperson co...

Daniel Lang is accused of stealing weapons from the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office evidence room September 11, 2018 The GBI is investigating a former Rockdale County deputy accused of stealing guns from the sheriff's office's evidence room and selling them for cash, Channel 2 Action News reported. "There was a tip received in reference to the han...

Sheriff Christopher added that this is the first time since he's been Sheriff that something like this has happened. September 7, 2018 A Haywood County Sheriff's Deputy has been terminated for allegedly accessing and removing items from the department's evidence room without authorization. According to a press release sent out by the sheriff's offi...

"We were able to obtain his DNA and get it off to the state crime lab, and we got a match yesterday," years later!! August 23, 2108 John Somerindyke of the Fayetteville Police Department couldn't stop smiling. "We made an arrest," he told a roomful of reporters on Wednesday. "Finally." For more than 10 years, police In Fayetteville, N.C., had been ...

The growing number, complexity and safety requirements of drug cases submitted for testing to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science is creating a backlog for the department September 1, 2018 The growing number, complexity and safety requirements of drug cases submitted for testing to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science is creating a b...

The sheriff realized there was evidence missing from the evidence room, and found numerous evidence bags in Mr. Barrett's office Enter Article DATE HERE Kathy Mudd•Thu, Aug 16, 2018 Michael Lee Barrett, 40, the former evidence custodian for the Jasper County Sheriff's Office pled guilty to 94 counts of corruption in court Tuesday. He was sente...

Enter Headline here August 24, 2018 Joshua Vann Harrell, 26, pleaded no contest to grand theft of a controlled substance and destroying evidence. He was sentenced to five days in the county jail and 36 months probation for stealing "K2″ synthetic marijuana from an evidence locker. Officers reported finding a chain of custody form on the seat of the...

Wilson allegedly removed money orders and U.S. currency from evidence and deposited them into his bank account. August 14, 2018 BEAUREGARD PARISH, LA (KPLC) - A retired Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Deputy stole money from an evidence room while he was an active deputy, according to a news release from state police. Saul Wilson, 56, of DeRidder, was ...

The pungent odor that sometimes hangs in the lobby of the Tampa Police Department headquarters August 16, 2018 TAMPA — For the uninitiated, the pungent odor that sometimes hangs in the lobby of the Tampa Police Department headquarters likely goes unidentified. For those with experienced noses, however, the skunky aroma at One Police Center has an u...

As the years went by and scientific advancements were developed in DNA analysis, a DNA profile of the suspect, August 16, 2018 MIAMI (CBS12) — A 50-year-old man was arrested in connection to a cold case murder from 1990, Miami-Dade police said. Lucio Leon, of Hialeah, was shot and killed Mar. 2, 1990 while walking near his restaurant, "Tuyo y Mio" ...

Long time IAPE Member August 6, 2018 Kannapolis Police Officer Ruth Stewart recently retired from the department after serving the residents of the city for 30 years. Stewart served as a patrol officer, DARE officer, evidence custodian and training coordinator. "Ruth has been a very valuable employee over the years and has worn many hats for our ag...

Approximately $3,904 was missing from the evidence locker. July 28, 2018 By: RYAN PHILLIPSSDN EDITOR , July 28, 2018STARKVILLE, MS A former city of West Point police officer avoided a felony conviction on Friday after entering a guilty plea to taking nearly $4,000 from the evidence locker at the police departme...

A former Southern Pines police employee faces dozens of charges after an audit revealed money missing from the Property and Evidence Division Enter Article DATE HERE SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (WNCN) - A former Southern Pines police employee faces dozens of charges after an audit revealed money missing from the Property and Evidence Division, offici...

Assistant Prosecutor Janet Williamson said that a box of evidence that included the murder weapon had been lost July 28, 2018 BLUEFIELD — Charges have been dropped in a 46-year-old murder case because of missing evidence. Tomie Lee Mollohan, 76, has been serving a life sentence since August 1974, after being convicted for the 1973 murder of Cebert ...

The police department discovered the missing cash when it performed an audit of the evidence room in 2014, according to the solicitor's office. July 26, 2018 A former police officer was sentenced Thursday for stealing money from her department's evidence locker, according to a South Carolina prosecutor. Stephanie Grant Bridge stole more than $20,00...

Ross (trusty) had been allowed to help transport drugs to the Police Department's evidence room and therefore knew where they were stored July 23, 2018 An ex-convict raided the Amite Police Department's evidence room this year and carted off a smorgasbord of prescription pills, heroin and other narcotics, internal police records show — a burglary t...

Arrested and faces charges of selling confiscated guns, according to law enforcement. July 25, 2018 The former chief of a North Carolina police department has been arrested and faces charges of selling confiscated guns, according to law enforcement. Eric Tinsley worked for the Biltmore Forest Police Department for 27 years, including 11 as the chie...

A veteran Miami Beach crime scene technician was suspended with pay last week as investigators sift through dozens of past cases to find out whether they've been tainted. July 22, 2018 A veteran Miami Beach crime scene technician was suspended with pay last week as investigators sift through dozens of past cases to find out whether they've been tai...

Prosecutors say justice will finally be served against a man who raped a woman, more than 30 years after the crime. July 18, 2018 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Testing of a backlogged rape kit resulted in an indictment more than 30 years after police say a man raped a woman in Louisville. According to a news release, Henry Crawford, age 54, was in his 2...

Former Mobile Police Officer, after he was arrested last summer on three criminal charges: tampering with physical evidence, theft of property, and possession of a controlled substance. July 19, 2018 MOBILE, AL (WALA) - A Mobile County Grand Jury has indicted Damian Colvin, a former Mobile Police Officer, after he was arrested last summer on three ...

Admitted to inadvertently disposing of the items on Nov. 3, 2017, according to the complaint. July 19, 2018 MARION — The destruction of seized items in a Smyth County drug case resulted in two misdemeanor charges being filed against a Virginia State Police trooper, according to court records. State Police charged Trooper Lee Testerman, 40, of Chilh...

More than $40,000 in ammunition had been unlawfully removed from the KSP Supply Branch June 7, 2018 The Scott County coroner, a Kentucky State Police trooper and retired state police colonel were indicted Thursday on charges involving the theft of $40,000 worth of ammunition and weapons. A grand jury indicted Coroner John Goble on multiple charges ...

Former Tunnel Hill police officer, pleaded guilty today to stealing $37,000 out of the department's evidence room, July 12, 2018 Scott Reneau, a former Tunnel Hill police officer, pleaded guilty today to stealing $37,000 out of the department's evidence room, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI arrested Reneau in March 2016, a...

Sheriff Reed says Mull is suspected of taking drugs that were supposed to be placed into the evidence vault. July 12, 2018 PRYOR, Okla. (KTUL) — PRYOR, Okla., (KTUL) -- A Mayes county deputy is out of a job and could end up in jail himself. Brett Mull is accused of taking illegal drugs from evidence. It's an alleged crime sheriff Mike Reed never th...

The TBI says agents began investigating a theft from the Sweetwater Police Department's evidence room in September 2007 Enter Article DATE HERE CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities in Tennessee say a former police officer accused of stealing money from an evidence room 10 years ago has been arrested in Panama. The Tennessee Bureau of Investig...

Allegations against the chief included missing guns from ongoing investigations, missing badges and personnel allegations from officers regarding paid time. Enter Article DATE HERE LITHONIA, Ga. -- The City of Lithonia has fired their police chief following a private investigation. Chief Roosevelt Smith was terminated earlier in the month at a...

Louisville Metro Police thanked social media for finding Mr. Frederick Owens. Enter Article DATE HERE LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The owner of a camouflage prosthetic leg found by police has been found. Louisville Metro Police thanked social media for finding Mr. Frederick "Fred" Owens. The Indian Creek Health and Rehab director Chris Allen reac...

He removed a clear bag of cocaine from the same pocket, crushed the bag in his hand, and sprinkled the drug over the head of Officer Ryan Caulfield and into the air June 29, 2018 A Nashville man has been arrested after he sprinkled cocaine over the head of a police officer in an attempt to dispose if the evidence. Antonio Freeman was stopped on a d...

DNA evidence led investigators to an arrest in a St. Pete rape case from 1986. June 15, 2018 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — 9AM JUNE 16 UPDATE | A Pinellas County judge set a $250,000 bond Saturday for Anthony Stokes, who was arrested Friday for a 1986 rape in St. Petersburg. At a first appearance Saturday morning, the judge also said should Stokes bond ou...

There was [an] evidence room deputy who had breathing problems while working in that room. June 22, 2018 The scientist Flagler County government hired to further and more broadly analyze air, soil ceiling and wall samples at the Sheriff's potentially sick Operations Center in Bunnell told the county today the gathering of samples was completed in o...

"The suspect said he believed because of the 'violent reaction' he had after smoking the drug, he was sold the wrong narcotic" June 14, 2018 A Florida man was arrested this week after asking a sheriff's office to test his drugs, authorities said. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said Douglas Peter Kelly, 49, of Hawthorne, told officers he suffere...