ARLENE VIOLET - ‘Monkey business’ at NP Police

found that at least 100 items, including a handgun, six green pills, crack cocaine, a ring, two necklaces, and a computer laptop are missing or misplace May 9, 2017 North Providence Acting Police Chief Christopher Pelagio has led a charmed life. He leap-frogged over three captains and was appointed by Mayor Charles Lombardi as acting deputy chief i...

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2019 Hits

Couple stole cash from Bradenton police. She got probation, he’s going to jail

The Zaagmans paid $24,800 in restitution prior to Monday's hearing, though they were initially suspected of stealing nearly $30,000 from the police department from 2011 until 2015. May 8, 2017 The husband-and-wife duo who bilked the Bradenton Police Department out of tens of thousands of dollars pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony scheming to ...

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1446 Hits

Nebraska trooper charged with theft from patrol facility

Trooper take ammunition Enter Article DATE HERE OMAHA, Neb. - A Nebraska State Patrol investigator has been accused of stealing ammunition from the patrol's facility in Omaha. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 44-year-old Christopher Kober, of Bellevue, was arrested Friday and has been charged with felony theft. If convicted, he faces up to ...

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1933 Hits

Evidence from hundreds of rape survivors’ bodies sat in a Fresno police freezer for years

Until the last few months, 765 rape kits – each marked with the victim's name and the date of the assault – gathered from these exams sat untested in a freezer at the Fresno Police Department March 8, 2017 Between 2000 and 2016, hundreds of women went to Fresno hospitals for sexual assault forensic exams. Many had just been raped, but they chose to...

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Audit shows 'years of neglect' of evidence at Dracut P.D.


The Police Department's failure to follow numerous evidence policy requirements, leading to the mishandling of property and evidence, illuminates "years of neglect" and are part of systemic issues within the agency May 6, 2017 DRACUT -- The Police Department's failure to follow numerous evidence policy requirements, leading to the mishandling of pr...

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2113 Hits

DNA links NYC child rapist to young girl's 1993 cold case sexual attack


They obtained a match in January when Dixon pleaded guilty to raping the 12-year-old girl in the Bronx in November 2016 and his DNA profile was entered into a nationwide FBI database. May 5, 2017 Published May 05, 2017 Fox News Facebook Twitter livefyre Email Print Mugshot for William Dixon, 58, that was taken this week. (NYS Department of Correcti...

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2371 Hits

Investigator turns over Sanborn murder case files that he kept in his attic

The boxes of material held exculpatory evidence and show that a detective lied at the trial, the defense team says. May 2, 2017 One of the now-retired Portland police detectives who investigated the 1989 murder of Jessica L. Briggs has turned over two boxes of case files he has kept in his attic, including material never before disclosed to Anthony...

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Selma PD evidence tech fired, arrested over stolen guns and jewelry

The third gun, the 9mm, made its way back out onto the streets of the community and was used in a deadly shooting in Dallas County, the chief said. Enter Article DATE HERE SELMA, AL (WSFA) - Selma police officers took one of their coworkers into custody Tuesday as officials revealed that several items had been taken from the department's evide...

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Drug called furanyl fentanyl is so potent you can die from touching it, Georgia authorities say

The drug is so potent, it can cause a fatal overdose just through skin absorption. May 4, 2017 ATLANTA - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says a drug is so dangerous, if someone touches it they could die. Numbers just released show a drug called furanyl fentanyl, which the Drug Enforcement Administration website calls a synthetic opioid, caused ...

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With a St. Paul cop's help, man's cremains are back with his family

A diligent sergeant in the property room of St. Paul Police Department reunited a family with the ashes of James Harris, which had been left abandoned at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul May 5, 2016 James Harris was a family man; a father of nine, uncle and brother beloved by kin from Illinois to Arkansas to Minnesota. Now, more than seven years after ...

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1973 Hits

County crime lab chemist charged with stealing, using drugs from evidence locker

A chemist with the Allegheny County crime lab has been charged with stealing and using drugs from an evidence locker in February. May 3, 2017 A chemist with the Allegheny County crime lab has been charged with stealing and using drugs from an evidence locker in February. Matthew Ieraci, 28, of Baldwin Borough was placed on leave from the lab Feb. 2...

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Sheriff ‘deeply saddened and angry’ by arrest of evidence custodian in theft case

GBI investigation that uncovered missing money and drug evidence Enter Article DATE HERE When Jasper County Sheriff Donnie Pope hired Michael Barrett about three years ago, the U.S. Navy veteran already had law enforcement experience. Until late last month, Barrett, 39, was an investigator and evidence custodian for Pope's office in Monticello...

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Police say they're frustrated with lengthy evidence room audit


Mayor Lombardi: 'Get it done. I don't want to hear it anymore May 2, 2017 NORTH PROVIDENCE – Police officials say they believe more than half of 100 or more items that have gone missing from the North Providence Police Department's evidence rooms will eventually be found in the department. Items still unaccounted for include two "crack cocaine buys...

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Pa. shows significant progress in reducing backlog of untested sexual assault evidence

The issue came to light after a 2015 USA Today investigation estimated that more than 100,000 rape kits - evidence collected after reported sexual assaults - were untested nationwide. Enter Article DATE HERE A new state report shows a one-time embarrassment for Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies is getting significant correction. In li...

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1711 Hits

ONLY ON KOLD: Inside Tucson's crime vault

It is considered by the International Association For Property and Evidence to be the nation's best evidence and property storage facility and it's right here in Tucson. May 1, 2017 TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - It is considered by the International Association For Property and Evidence to be the nation's best evidence and property storage fa...

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1860 Hits

Police Chief: NOPD mix-up sends key homicide evidence across lake

April 18, 2017 PEARL RIVER, LA (WVUE) - A missing man's vehicle found after a murder in the Milan neighborhood could hold evidence for New Orleans police detectives. New Orleans police found Gerald Oster Jr.'s SUV last Wednesday. It was found riddled with bullets after a shooting near the corner of Freret and Peniston. Oster went missing on March 1...

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1990 Hits

Framingham chief pressed on evidence room at Town Meeting

Police Chief Ken Ferguson on Thursday sought to reassure residents that new measures are in place to safeguard the department's evidence room Enter Article DATE HERE FRAMINGHAM — Facing questions about thefts within his department, Police Chief Ken Ferguson on Thursday sought to reassure residents that new measures are in place to safeguard th...

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1685 Hits

Court officer gets jail for evidence tampering

He was convicted of a single charge of withholding evidence in a criminal proceeding for attempting to have a cellphone he hid at the courthouse destroyed after his March 2015 arrest. April 26, 2017 LAWRENCE -- A former Lawrence District Court officer convicted of evidence tampering will avoid serving a year in jail while his appeal is pending, a j...

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Prosecutors Overturn More Than 21,000 Drug Convictions In Wake Of Massive Drug Lab Misconduct

Dookhan's prolific fakery resulted in a list of 40,000 cases possibly tainted by her work. Enter Article DATE HERE Back in 2012, it was discovered that a Massachusetts state drug lab technician had falsified thousands of tests submitted as evidence in criminal cases. Technician Annie Dookhan was able to "produce" three times as many test resul...

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1654 Hits

DNA leads to arrest in 1976 fatal stabbing of Houston man

The sheriff's statement says cold case investigators in 2014 began reviewing the death and linked DNA evidence to Edds, April 27, 2017 HOUSTON - Investigators say a review of DNA evidence in the 1976 fatal stabbing of a Houston man has led to an arrest nearly 41 years later. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, David Lee Edds, 61, was t...

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1619 Hits

Retired Tampa police officer pleads guilty to theft of treasury check

​Hevel pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a single charge of theft of government property related to the disappearance of the $4,055 check. Enter Article DATE HERE TAMPA — A retired lawman and husband of a disgraced Tampa police detective admitted Thursday that he cashed a U.S. Treasury check his wife had stolen from an evidence room....

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1908 Hits

Unsolved: DNA may finally solve girl's 1993 murder

Jennifer Odom was 12 years old when she was abducted and killed in Hernando County. For more than 20 years, there has been no solid leads, no persons of interest in the case. April 27, 2017 Detectives believe a 17-year-old victim got off the school bus at U.S. 41 and Twin Oaks Drive and made her way along a dirt road when sje was grabbed by a suspe...

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2106 Hits

He’s on the case after finding items lost in Katrina in an evidence vault

Imagine the surprise of a man who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina, and nearly 12 years later learned his class ring had been found April 25,  2017 Pass Christian, LA Imagine the surprise of a man who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina, and nearly 12 years later learned his class ring had been found. Chris Logan of Oxford, Alabama, lived...

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1868 Hits

Ex-Melrose Park cop admits selling drugs stolen from evidence


So he sold drugs that had been stolen from the evidence room 4/25/2017 Gregory Salvi was rapidly nearing retirement from the Melrose Park Police Department in 2015, and he hoped to use the job to make as much money as possible. So he sold drugs that had been stolen from the evidence room. He offered to illegally move narcotics in "the f—in' police ...

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2029 Hits

Ingham evidence room investigation turned over to prosecutor

An audit by Ingham County found 1,758 cases were improperly tracked over the years. April 26, 2017 The Michigan State Police have completed their investigation into the mishandling of evidence by the Ingham County Sheriff's Office and they've turned the report over the prosecutor. The previous prosecutor, Gretchen Whitmer, asked the troopers to inv...

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1785 Hits

DNA leads to warrant in 1976 Houston cold case

Investigators say a review of DNA evidence in the 1976 fatal stabbing of a Houston man has led to a warrant issued for a convicted killer in a later case April 24, 2017 HOUSTON (AP) - Investigators say a review of DNA evidence in the 1976 fatal stabbing of a Houston man has led to a warrant issued for a convicted killer in a later case. The Harris ...

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2286 Hits

Dickson County Woman Allegedly Took Evidence From Patrol Car


An investigation began on April 3 after the disappearance of money and drugs from a patrol car DICKSON, Tenn. - A Dickson County woman has been charged with bringing contraband into a jail and tampering with evidence.Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said an indictment was obtained for 31-year-old Tasha Naydean Corlew. ...

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2238 Hits

Baton Rouge DA, Innocence Project tangle over missing evidence in rape case


"the bloodstains, bed sheets, rape kit and sunglasses have disappeared from the evidence record since the 1980s" Apr 22, 2017 A nonprofit legal aid group is trying to re-open the books on a decades-old East Baton Rouge Parish rape conviction by tracking evidence for DNA testing. However, the bloodstains, bed sheets, rape kit and sunglasses have dis...

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2023 Hits

Indiana to conduct audit of untested sexual assault kits

Local officials said there are many reasons a kit may not have been tested, the most common being that the victim did not cooperate or declined to move forward with the case. April 22, 2017 INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Police plan to conduct an audit of untested sexual assault kits that may have lingered for years in evidence collection rooms acros...

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1891 Hits

Justice denied: Lawsuit surrounding wrongful conviction and missing evidence


Nearly 20 years later, with the advent of DNA technology, Sledge began to write authorities letter after letter, asking that the evidence used to convict him be tested so he could prove his innocence. April 21 ,2107 BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A lawsuit filed against Bladen County by a wrongfully incarcerated man could cost the county millions of do...

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1797 Hits

Family relieved after DNA evidence leads to homicide charges in 16-year-old cold case


Police say new DNA evidence that emerged in 2014 prompted a 22-month hunt for a suspect that concluded last week with an arrest in Sherwood Park. April 19, 2017 For a decade after his brother's murder, Ian Hepher would phone Calgary homicide detectives each year in March around the anniversary of his death to find out if anythin...

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1921 Hits

CMPD’s Lost and Found: a ham and a tombstone


Shotguns, bikes, drugs, a ham and a coffin: just a few of the items at CMPD's Property Control Room when this story was written in 1982. The department was responsible for the safekeeping of evidence, lost items and recovered stolen things. April 21, 2017 By John Monk, Observer Staff Writer This is where Charlotte's lost things wind ...

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1796 Hits

Massachusetts Supreme Court dismisses 21,000 drug convictions following chemist misconduct

Beyond the over 21,000 cases likely to be dismissed, another 500 to 700 convictions would most likely not be vacated April 21, 2017 JURIST] The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court  on Thursday formally approved the dismissal [press release] of over 21,000 drug convictions that were deemed [order, PDF] to be "tainted" by a former state chemist...

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1598 Hits

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to Vacate 21,587 Drug Conviction Cases

The cases handled by Sonja Farak—a former drug lab chemist in Amherst, Mass, who in 2014 was convicted of stealing and using drugs from the state laboratory where she worked for years—are still pending. The next wave of dismissals could include 18K or more tainted cases. April 20, 2017 This morning, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Cour...

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1577 Hits

Police begin reopening rape cases as Kentucky tests old DNA evidence


Kentucky has shipped 3,173 untested rape kits to a private laboratory in Utah for forensic analysis, to determine if DNA evidence can be retrieved. April 15, 2017 Kentucky prosecutors must prepare for a wave of newly reopened sexual assault cases as several thousand previously untested sexual assault evidence kits — some dating back to the 1970s — ...

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2064 Hits

Ex-cop accused of evidence locker theft was back in court Monday


A retired Springfield police officer accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the department's evidence locker was in court again April 15, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A retired Springfield police officer accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the department's evidence locker was in court again on Monday. Kevin Burnham was only briefly in th...

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1688 Hits

Standardized rape kits good idea


Standardizing the rape kits would reduce the chance of contamination and make for a faster and more efficient process, she said. Enter Article DATE HERE All rape kits are not created equal. There are multiple vendors. Some law enforcement agencies buy them off the shelf. Some of the larger departments have manufacturers customize them for thei...

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1799 Hits

Familial DNA test, retired detective's tenacity, solve 1992 murder case


San Diego police homicide Lt. Mike Holden said the evidence that connected Falls was a "familial DNA" test — the first of its kind run by a San Diego County law agency. April 14, 2017 A reserve San Diego police detective, determined to make a difference while fighting cancer, took on a cold case and through DNA helped solve the horrific murder of a...

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1957 Hits

Page PD Tests New Burn Barrel


This unit has the potential to save the police department thousands of dollars that would have been spent to dispose of this evidence using other methods. April 14, 2017 The Page Police Department tried out its new 'burn barrel' for the first time this week. The barrel is used to dispose of evidence and other property stored in our evidence room th...

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2114 Hits

Senate Sends Bill on DNA Collection to Gov. Holcomb's Desk


Last fall, a DNA sample collected in Ohio helped Indiana police link a man to the fatal shooting of John Clements, 82, in Zionsville, and two other attacks in October. Enter Article DATE HERE By DARCY COSTELLO, Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —  Indiana senators voted Thursday to allow DNA swabs to be taken upon a person's felony arres...

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2100 Hits

Crime-scene investigator made errors in 65 cases, DA's office says


The review of 88 cases done by the officer determined that 65 had incomplete documentation, 32 had administrative errors and in eight cases, evidence had been misplaced. April 12, 2017 HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston police officer working as a crime-scene investigator made errors in 65 cases dating back to October 2015, according to a scathing audit r...

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2181 Hits

Texas may ask drivers to help clear rape kit backlog


Texas is considering asking drivers to help it clear its huge backlog of untested rape kits, a novel approach that has been well received by cost-conscious Republican lawmakers and one that other states might consider April 5, 2017 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas is considering asking drivers to help it clear its huge backlog of untested rape kits, a no...

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1771 Hits

Second Untested Rape Kit Backlog Found In Detroit


Prosecutors say another 555 rape kits languished in police storage after the 2009 discovery of 11,341 abandoned sexual assault kits. March 27, 2017 DETROIT, MI — Problems with forgotten rape kits persisted in Detroit after public outcry over more than 11,000 — some of them dating back 30 years — found languishing in a police warehouse in 2009, acco...

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2035 Hits

Allegheny County crime lab employee on leave amid probe


"Right now, we're concerned about the integrity of these approximately 600 cases to ensure these people got a fair trial," he said. "We have an ethical obligation to look at all of these and notify the [defense.] "Even if we don't think there's a problem, we still have to work the files." March 29, 2017 Allegheny County crime lab employee on leave ...

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1852 Hits

Man charged with 1998 killing of 13-year-old girl in Calif.(DNA)


"There's strong DNA evidence," he said but declined to be specific. April 6, 2017 MONTEREY, Calif. - An imprisoned rapist will be charged with killing a 13-year-old California girl who vanished while walking her dog nearly two decades ago, a prosecutor announced Thursday. Charles Holifield will be charged on April 14 with murder and kidnapping for ...

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1684 Hits

The Montana Department of Justice is working to find storage and test nearly 1,400 rape kits.


The MSU Voice Center wanted to get the word out that although there is a backlog of rape kits, action is being taken to resolve the issue April 5, 2017 BOZEMAN - Wednesday at Montana State University, the Voice Center presented the efforts being made across the state to end the rape kit backlog.The MSU Voice Center wanted to get the word out that a...

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1754 Hits

2004 Paralympic Rings Recovered By PropertyRoom.com


Upon discovery of the ring, and the name engraved upon it, Jenny Metz, a PropertyRoom.com employee, notified her supervisor, who reached out to the Wichita Police Department. April 4, 2017 Recently, an employee at PropertyRoom.com, an online police auction website, was sorting through items received from the Wichita Police Department in Kansas to p...

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1846 Hits

UPDATE: Sex assault kits part of missing evidence


An audit revealed that nearly 1,800 cases had missing evidence April 3, 2017 The Ingham County Sheriff's Office is now saying it's lost track of seven sexual-assault kits. The department announced Monday those seven kits are part of the 1,756 cases in which evidence was lost dating back to the year 2000.  Prosecutor Carol Siemon is not happy. ...

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2007 Hits

DNA from 36-year-old gum leads to cold case manslaughter conviction


Bell was first arrested in 1981; however, he was eventually let go due to a lack of evidence. But advances in technology provided the proof needed to bring him to justice. April 2, 2017 alk about a long-lasting piece of gum. A 60-year-old British man was convicted of manslaughter in March after investigators pulled traces of his DNA from a 36-year-...

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2020 Hits

Canadian cops lose $25,000 worth of cocaine during a drug trial, pretty sure they “destroyed” it, so all good right?


The judge said that the police losing nine ounces of the illicit substance was "troublesome indeed."Yeah. Enter Article DATE HERE A $25,000 booty of seized cocaine has mysteriously disappeared from the locked vault of a Canadian police station. Although, the stash was the key evidence during a drug trial held earlier this month, the cops say t...

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