Woman charged with stealing drugs from Okaloosa County Sheriffs

"This situation came to light through routine procedures, spot checks, and internal controls, August 29, 2917 OKALOOSA CO. (WTVY) — The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office today charged an OCSO civilian employee with grand theft of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. 40-year old Deidra Rezzarday, a P...

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Former Billings Police evidence technician accused of stealing drugs from evidence locker makes court

"I just completed my inpatient treatment and my outpatient treatment and I'm currently in continuing care for drug and alcohol addiction, June 13, 2018 Charging documents filed against a former Billings Police Department evidence technician describe her using record-keeping software to allegedly steal enough drugs from the evidence locker over roug...

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No room at the precinct: Police face shortage of evidence space

The amount of evidence collected for criminal cases has been building up for decades, posing a logistical challenge for the department. June 12, 2018 Kenai police are facing a storage crunch. The amount of evidence collected for criminal cases has been building up for decades, posing a logistical challenge for the department. "Evidence storage in a...

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Former Colorado Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Weapons Theft

A former Colorado police chief has pleaded guilty to charges of stealing weapons from his department and its evidence room and then selling them to pawn shops. December 1, 2017 LEADVILLE, Colo. (AP) — A former police chief in a small Colorado town has pleaded guilty to charges of stealing weapons from his department and its evidence room and then s...

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Fitzgerald: Voting in the dark for sheriff

Allegations that the sheriff's evidence locker had gone to hell and thousands of pieces of evidence were missing led to a grand jury investigation — again, still ongoing. June 5, 2018 Sheriff's Office politics often confound me. Politics involving allegations of misconduct, that is. Unless the press can prove allegations against a sheriff, the accu...

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Court takes up missing evidence in Old A rape case

​ June 5, 2018 KEALAKEKUA — A 3rd Circuit Court judge was shocked to learn Monday that a piece of DNA evidence in the reported 2016 rape at Old Kona Airport Park had disappeared while in the possession of Hawaii County police. Defense counsels for Samuel Latrik and Tyron Sigrah sought to have sexual assault charges dismissed due to loss, spoliation...

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107 Ventura County cold cases could come closer to closure if this bill is passed


Making its way through Congress is a federal bill worked on by Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten that would allow grant funding for the prosecution of violent cold cases with DNA evidence. Enter Article DATE HERE Making its way through Congress is a federal bill worked on by Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten that would al...

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Expert: Utah case shows drugs a problem in police evidence rooms

The internal investigation also found that the evidence room was in disarray and dozens of criminal cases may be jeopardized because of stolen or compromised evidence. May 22, 2018 OGDEN (AP) — Evidence room problems illustrated by the case of a Utah technician who was fired after being found high on methamphetamine at work are all too common, acco...

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Drug thefts 'real problem' in police evidence rooms


He said he concluded after the training that "evidence supervision is the scariest job I've ever had. When it goes wrong it goes really wrong and you always catch it late."  May 19, 2018 Editor's note: The Standard-Examiner is choosing not to name the accused evidence technician because she is a private citizen and as of Friday, May 18, 2018, ...

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Technique Used to Find Golden State Killer Leads to a Suspect in 1987 Murders

An important break came once again as a result of DNA sleuthing techniques similar to the ones used last month to crack the Golden State killer case. May 18, 2018 In 1987, Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, a couple from Canada, were brutally killed while they were vacationing in Washington State. On Friday, the Snohomish County sheriff's ...

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A dangerous opioid is killing people in California. It's starting to show up in cocaine and meth

Enter Headline here Enter Article DATE HERE Fentanyl, a potent opioid already responsible for thousands of deaths nationwide, is increasingly showing up in drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine in California, officials say. The white powder, a lethal substance 50 times stronger than heroin, is sometimes mixed into other opioids to produce a s...

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Untested Rape Kits in California, Part of Massive National Backlog, Are Focus of Assemblyman’s Proposal


Enter Headline here May 17, 2018 Tens of thousands of rape kits are sitting on shelves in police and sheriff's department evidence rooms nationwide. And no one has tested them to see what crimes they could help solve. A bill by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) would help determine how many of those unanalyzed exam kits exist in California, ...

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Former Fremont County Sheriff's Office detective Robert Dodd appears in person for hearing

A former Fremont County Sheriff's Office detective who allegedly kept a bloody rope and other crime evidence in a personal storage locker has not yet accepted a plea agreement. Enter Article DATE HERE A former Fremont County Sheriff's Office detective who allegedly kept a bloody rope and other crime evidence in a personal storage locker has no...

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Audit: Oregon crime lab shakeup over rape kit testing reduces backlog

Oregon State Police's crime lab is making a significant dent — with 1,100 kits in the backlog compared to 4,900 kits in 2015. Enter Article DATE HERE wo years after passing a law requiring Oregon crime labs to process the state's growing rape-kit backlog, a Secretary of State audit found Oregon State Police's crime lab is making a significant ...

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Weber County evidence room scandal extends to the prosecutor’s office, where an unknown number of cases may have been affected

An audit of the room, which was found to be in complete disarray, is expected to take more than a year. May 10, 2018 Weber County prosecutors are trying to determine which of their cases have solid footing and which have crumbled after a scandal in which the sheriff's office evidence technician admitted to stealing methamphetamine from the evidence...

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Report: Supervisor didn't act on 'warning signs' surrounding Weber evidence employee


"The warning signs were present but ignored," jeopardizing criminal prosecutions and harming the reputation of the office, states the review released Friday in response to public records requests. May 5, 2018 OGDEN — Despite complaints from colleagues, prosecutors and others, a former Weber County Sheriff's Office supervisor failed to report concer...

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Weber County employee got 'good' reviews despite 'total disarray' of evidence room

"I basically became addicted to meth in the evidence room," the report quoted the custodian as saying. May 4, 2018 Ripped or razored open to get at the narcotics inside, dozens of empty evidence bags lay strewn on the floor or crumpled and jammed into two bulging manila folders stashed under a desk. Coins, pills, empty plastic baggies with drug res...

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DNA leads to arrest in mom's 1977 cold case rape, murder

Officials in Los Angeles say DNA and fingerprint evidence collected at the scene of a brutal 1977 rape and murder of a woman in front of her two young sons has led to an arrest in the case. May 4, 2018 LOS ANGELES — Officials in Los Angeles say DNA and fingerprint evidence collected at the scene of a brutal 1977 rape and murder of a woman in front ...

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How the Supreme Court Could Rewrite the Rules for DNA Searches

The arrest of the alleged Golden State Killer and a case currently before the court both raise questions about Fourth Amendment rights in the digital age. Enter Article DATE HERE Several years ago, the Supreme Court considered the case of Alonzo Jay King Jr. Arrested in an assault in Maryland, he ended up being charged and convicted in an unso...

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Man faces charges in the 1977 rape and murder of a South L.A. woman (DNA)

The killing remained unsolved for roughly four decades, but a fingerprint found at the scene and additional DNA evidence helped Los Angeles police last week capture the man they believe is responsible. Enter Article DATE HERE When a man entered Leona Davis' South Los Angeles home in 1977, he didn't seem to care that two children were staring a...

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Rape kit backlog blamed in second assault in Tumwater

Washington state's rape kit backlog has advocates worried how many sexual offenders are still out on the streets. Enter Article DATE HERE A sexual assault case in Tumwater provides a glaring example of how Washington state's rape kit backlog is still having serious and devastating consequences. Tumwater police have linked 35-year-old suspect L...

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Push for untested rape kit legislation in California

There is a bill in the Senate that would require all law enforcement to test rape kits. April 30, 2018 There's a new effort in the state to fix the backlog of untested rape kits. This is coming just days after the suspected Golden State Killer was arrested. According to Joyful Heart Foundation, there are an estimated 13,000 kits currently untested ...

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Cops: Truck carrying Starbucks' products in Washington state had 126 pounds of meth

The search turned up 40 bundles of meth in a television box on the top bunk of the sleeper berth and 50 bundles on the lower mattress. April 28, 2018 CENTRALIA, Wash. (KOMO) -- Authorities in Lewis County say a search of a truck carrying Starbucks' products to Spokane this week turned up 126 pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs. Two people, th...

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Investigators: DNA from genealogy site caught 'Golden State Killer'

Enter Headline here Enter Article DATE HERE SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — More than three decades after his trail went cold, one of California's most prolific serial killers and rapists was caught by using online genealogical sites to find a DNA match, prosecutors said Thursday. Investigators compared the DNA collected from a crime scene of th...

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Former Alaska trooper will chip away at rape kit backlog

The state has hired a sexual-assault cold-case investigator to assist in chipping away at the state's backlog of nearly 3,500 untested rape kits. April 26, 2018 FAIRBANKS — The state has hired a sexual-assault cold-case investigator to assist in chipping away at the state's backlog of nearly 3,500 untested rape kits. Retired Alaska State Trooper Sg...

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Golden State Killer suspect arrested in California

The Golden State Killer, who was arrested on suspicion of committing four killings in Sacramento and Ventura counties, is believed to be responsible for at least 12 murders, 45 rapes and 120 home burglaries throughout California. April 24, 2018 The suspect believed to be the notorious Golden State Killer — who was wanted in a dozen murders and near...

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10,000 people shouldn’t have guns in California — but it’ll take at least 4 years to get them back

32 agents were hired as part of an effort to clear the backlog that began in 2013, when the number of people who had been ordered to give up their guns but were never visited by an agent stood at 20,000. April 20, 2018 The California Department of Justice believes it will take at least four years to finish the job of seizing guns from more than 10,...

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DNA leads to suspect sketches in 1987 cold case killings of young couple

Cold case investigators in Washington state have released DNA-generated composite sketches of a suspect in the unsolved slayings of a young Canadian couple three decades ago. April 21, 2018 Cold case investigators in Washington state have released DNA-generated composite sketches of a suspect in the unsolved slayings of a young Canadian couple thre...

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3 Billings police officers disciplined for having sex on city property

In the course of investigating the evidence locker thefts, St. John said, "there were some rumors flying around" about officers having had sexual relations with Strizich, and when asked, she identified the three officers. April 18, 2018 Three Billings police officers who admitted having sex on city property with a civilian employee of the departmen...

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Ousted sheriff's deputy says he's a scapegoat for evidence problems

"I retired because I was being forced out of my career by a vindictive, politically motivated attempt to blame me for the crimes committed by a former evidence custodian under my supervision," Burns said in the statement. April 13, 2018 OGDEN — A former senior deputy says he was made a scapegoat and forced to retire amid an investigation into drug ...

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Burleigh County deputy facing drug, theft charges

Komrosky, 31, was arrested after allegedly stealing a pound of methamphetamine valued at $10,000 and 13 cell phones from the Metro Area Task Force. April 12, 2018 A judge has set bond at $2,500 cash for a Burleigh County sheriff's deputy charged with theft and drug crimes while on the job. Kerry Komrosky, 31, was arrested Tuesday after allegedly st...

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Former Utah sheriff’s employee accused of being impaired on the job, using meth that had been seized as evidence

Public documents show a fired evidence-room technician acknowledged using methamphetamine seized in Weber County Sheriff's Office investigations. Enter Article DATE HERE Ogden • Public documents show a fired evidence-room technician acknowledged using methamphetamine seized in Weber County Sheriff's Office investigations. The Standard-Examiner...

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2 Gardena Police Officers Charged With Illegally Selling Guns Through Instagram


Arao is accused of obtaining the guns by transferring "off-roster" inventory from Ronin Tactical Group to himself, while Fernandez allegedly sold dozens of "off-roster" firearms through private-party transfers. "Off-roster" guns are those that can be legally bought by law enforcement officers but are not available to the general public. March 26, 2...

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Efforts to clear California’s rape kit testing backlog fall short


California doesn't know how many rape kits are on the shelves," said Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco. Enter Article DATE HERE The case of an Antioch man accused of murder who evaded capture while a rape kit implicating him years earlier sat on a shelf has caught the attention of lawmakers and activists. But chances are, he's not the on...

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Police: Hawaii - Officer suspected of stealing evidence

According to the statement, the discrepancy was discovered when the evidence was being weighed in preparation to use a small quantity of the cocaine for training purposes. March 15, 2018 Police say criminal and administrative investigations were initiated in October 2017 after it was discovered that cocaine recovered as evidence in 2014 was found t...

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Former Fort Peck tribal officer guilty of stealing drugs from evidence

Officer broke into the Fort Peck Tribal Law and Justice Building and used a crowbar to get into the drug investigations office where he took opiates, methamphetamine and cash Enter Article DATE HERE GREAT FALLS — A former Fort Peck tribal police officer has pleaded guilty to stealing drugs and money from the tribe's drug investigations office,...

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After Drug Thefts – Crime Lab Improves Policies to Protect Cases

Thrush allegedly saved leftover portions of the drug evidence and later ingested them. Larson said Thrush was properly vetted for his position as chemist for the crime lab. FEBRUARY 23, 2018 On February 23, KGVO reported that Derek Thrush, a former chemist at the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula, had allegedly stolen samples of methamphetamine f...

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DNA leads to arrest in 1986 cold case slayings of two young women

The Fremont Police Department announced they arrested David Misch, 57, on suspicion of two counts of murder in the slayings of two young women whose nude bodies were dumped along a road, the East Bay Times reported. Fremont is southeast of San Francisco. Enter Article DATE HERE FREMONT, Calif. -- The 1986 killings of two California women who d...

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Her rape kit sat untested for 22 years. Oregon police say they just found a DNA match

When a $2 million grant paid to test some of the state's 5,600 untested kits following a public outcry, police packed up the kit and sent it off to a private lab in Utah, reported The Oregonian. The kit produced a DNA match in November – 22 years after the crime. March 1, 2018 Taken in a 1996 sexual assault case, the rape kit sat untested in a Port...

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Evidence missing from Santee sheriff's station, clerk resigns amid investigation

Enter Headline here Enter Article DATE HERE A Sheriff's Department property clerk resigned in December amid a criminal investigation into missing evidence.The clerk, a nearly 10-year employee named Angela Messig, acknowledged the property room she oversaw in Santee was a mess but denied stealing any evidence.The property-theft case is the seco...

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Poulsbo police officer charged with drugs, theft

A Poulsbo police officer was charged Wednesday with theft and felony drug possession after she confessed to repeatedly taking narcotics left in city hall's prescription drug take-back box, according to court documents. Enter Article DATE HERE PORT ORCHARD — A Poulsbo police officer was charged Wednesday with theft and felony drug possession af...

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ATF investigating disappearance of cache of guns from Compton vault

The guns had been stored in a vacated building on Alameda Street which had been home to Compton's old City Hall. A vault with heavy metal doors and a large combination lock secured the cache. March 1, 2018 COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Compton City officials reported a cache of 30 weapons missing and federal agents from the ATF are investigating. The d...

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Former Leadville Police Chief Sentenced For Thefts From Evidence Room

The investigation revealed that Leake took several guns from the evidence room, brought them to pawn shops in Denver, and presented himself as the owner. Enter Article DATE HERE LEADVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) — A judge sentenced Michael Leake, the police chief for the city of Leadville for six years, to 15 years of probation Friday for stealing from ...

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Charges dropped in 40 cases, another dozen under review after Billings evidence tech's drug thefts

The Billings Police Department said during a press conference that it had fired the technician , on Feb. 6 after she confessed to stealing oxycodone and other opioids from evidence, affecting 138 cases. March 1, 2018 Yellowstone County will drop criminal charges in roughly 40 cases and dismiss another dozen cases under review because a Billings Pol...

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Poulsbo Police Department makes changes after thefts, audit finds

The finding identified a number of weaknesses within the department after a former employee stole two guns, $2,000 went missing from a police department fund, and a gold necklace disappeared from the evidence room. Enter Article DATE HERE By Brynn Grimley Recent thefts within the Poulsbo Police Department prompted the city to make drastic chan...

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Billings Police evidence tech fired after stealing oxycodone, which affected at least 138 cases

It is the second time in roughly three years drug cases have been affected by BPD evidence technicians stealing drugs. Enter Article DATE HERE A Billings Police Department employee was fired earlier this month after stealing prescription painkillers from the evidence locker, police said Tuesday. The revelation throws into question hundreds of ...

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Record payout approved for Simi Valley man wrongfully convicted of grisly 1978 murders (DNA)

Nearly 40 years later, the 70-year-old man has a slew of powerful voices behind him as he fights to correct the injustice of having spent more than half of his life in prison for a grisly double murder he didn't commit. Feb 15, 2018 For years, from inside a cell at Folsom State Prison, Craig Coley couldn't get anyone to listen. But his message was ...

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St. George man pleads guilty to selling evidence while working for police department

A former Southern Utah police evidence technician has entered a guilty plea in relation to allegations that he sold police evidence through his daughter's online store. February 17, 2018 ST. GEORGE — A former Southern Utah police evidence technician has entered a guilty plea in relation to allegations that he sold police evidence through his daught...

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Former evidence room employee under investigation in Weber County

An evidence audit team has now been assembled to go through every piece of evidence in the department to make sure whatever unknown substances the woman was allegedly taking weren't stolen from the room Enter Article DATE HERE OGDEN — The Weber County Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into a former evidence room employee who may h...

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Police: Advances in DNA technology helped link 3 cold-case homicides in Eugene

Eugene Police say investigators have connected three cold-case homicides thanks to advances in DNA technolog Enter Article DATE HERE EUGENE, Ore. - Eugene Police say investigators have connected three cold-case homicides thanks to advances in DNA technology, the department said Friday. Police did not identify the cases. A press conference on t...

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