Ex-Springfield police officer Kevin Burnham died before pleading guilty

Burnham allegedly stole $400,000 from evidence room

June 6, 2017

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It was a tragic ending to the life of a retired Springfield Police Officer, who had been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the police department's evidence room.

Kevin Burnham allegedly stole nearly $400,000, between 2009 and 2014. He was expected to plead guilty in court Monday, but never showed up. It was later confirmed that he was dead.

The investigation into the missing money began when Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri requested an audit of all cash from the evidence room, after they discovered that about $385,000 was missing.

The case was eventually given to the state police and attorney general's office, who ultimately brought charges against Burnham.

The Attorney General's office determined that Burnham allegedly took money from about 170 different drug cases, between December 2009 and July 2014, while he was the department's narcotics evidence officer.

Burnham was charged with six counts of larceny over $250, and one count of larceny under $250.

His trial was postponed several times, before it came to a tragic end on Monday.

Burnham was a decorated police officer, and a 43-year-veteran of the force. He had been the longest-serving member of the department at the time of his retirement, in the summer of 2014.