Was it never collected, lost, or never turned in?


Anaheim detective testifies to mishandling now-missing video evidence in murder trial October 25th, 2023 An Anaheim police investigator has admitted to mishandling surveillance footage that allegedly shows a suspect fleeing the scene of a fatal 2015 stabbing, prompting the defendant in the murder case to ask that the charges be dismissed. The surve...

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546 Hits

If you steal drugs, don't sell them to an informant!


Inglewood Police Officer Sold Cocaine Taken from Evidence Locker October 16th, 2023 A former police officer who allegedly stole drugs out of the evidence lock-up and sold them to an informant is expected to accept a plea deal in lieu of a hefty prison sentence. A former member of the Inglewood Police Department is expected to plead guilty to drug d...

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Washington Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Shrinking


Sexual Assault Kits Backlogs On Track To Be Cleared By The WA Crime Lab In The Next 3 Months September 11th, 2023 The Washington State Crime Lab reports that by the end of the year, scientists should be able to completely clear out massive backlogs of sexual assault kits that have been sitting on evidence shelves for decades. According to Fox 13 Se...

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Have you tested all of your sexual assault kits?


Audit finds Sacramento Police Department has backlog of untested rape kits September 6th, 2023 An audit found the Sacramento Police Department has failed to comply with a rape kit law more than four years after a state deadline. The department only began work to belatedly follow the state law after the City Auditor's Office identified the issue ear...

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Court rules Vallejo illegally destroyed evidence in police killings


In a May ruling, Judge Stephen Gizzi found that the city violated the California Public Records Act when in 2021 officials destroyed evidence in multiple police shootings. June 30, 2023 Solano County judge has ruled in favor of Open Vallejo in a lawsuit over records of Vallejo police violence and misconduct. In a May ruling, Judge Stephen Gizzi fou...

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534 Hits

Oregon Department of Justice charges former Ontario Police sergeant for missing evidence


investigation began in August of 2021 when it was discovered that $900 cash was missing. That money, which was tied to a criminal case, was to be returned back to the victim after it had gone through the court system May 13, 2023 ONTARIO — A court case tied to missing evidence from Ontario Police Department has finally wrapped up, with a sergeant h...

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Overhaul of evidence room nearly complete


Malheur County District Attorney turns over investigation to Oregon Dept. of Justice September 15, 2022 ditor's note:This article has been updated to reflect that one person who was tied to the investigation has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Another person remains on paid leave, and it has now been confirmed that they also are tied to the investi...

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OC sheriff’s sergeant switched drug evidence between cases, defense attorney alleges


A deputy public defender called out 'officers who will plant evidence and write false reports' May 12, 2023 An embattled Orange County sheriff's sergeant has been accused in defense documents with taking drugs seized in one case and booking them as evidence in another, unrelated case. Sgt. Matthew LeFlore, already facing allegations of illegally ea...

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Deputy accused of stealing prescription drugs from drop box in sheriff station pleads not guilty


Deputy Cory Richey was arrested last week as he arrived to work and later booked into jail; a Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered him to enroll in a drug treatment program January 12, 2023 SAN DIEGO — A veteran sheriff's deputy accused of taking prescription drugs from a drop box in a sheriff's station pleaded not guilty in San Diego on Tuesday...

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Former technician cleared in case of missing evidence


The newspaper confirmed that there is still one person who remains on paid administrative leave which is pending the outcome of the investigation, now in the hands of the Oregon Department of Justice. Septembere 24, 2022 ONTARIO — Former Ontario Police Department Evidence Technician David Worth has been cleared in the investigation into missing evi...

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What did Matthew Buckley do? Charges explored as California sheriff’s deputy is accused of falsifying police report to steal firearms


Matthew Buckley was a prominent figure within his agency, having won "Officer of the Year" 2 years in a row. September 7, 2022 On August 26, Contra Costa County authorities announced that they had arrested California Sheriff's deputy Matthew Buckley on multiple felony firearms charges. As per Mercury News, Matthew Buckley, 41, is accused of falsify...

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Bakersfield PD officer flushed suspect's marijuana, said he was angry: docs


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — When first questioned by internal affairs detectives, Bakersfield Police Department Senior Officer Brendan Thebeau said he didn't recall finding marijuana when searching a home for a gun reportedly brandished at an officer, documents say August 23, 2022 A detective opened his laptop and played two portions of body camer...

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Jury Convicts Man Linked by DNA to Montclair, Burbank Cold Case Murders


Jurors heard final closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of Horace Vaultz, who prosecutors say left DNA on three women found strangled in the 1980s. August 20, 2022 Horace Van Vaultz, Jr., 67, showed no reaction as the clerk of the court read the verdicts. The jurors also found true the special circumstances of multiple murders and that the murd...

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Business compliance operation conducted at 19 auto businesses in Perris results in recovery of 448 catalytic converters, 15 citations


Where Do We Put Them? August 18, 2022 A business compliance operation conducted at 19 automotive businesses within the City of Perris resulted in the recovery of 448 catalytic converters and 15 citations for various offenses. On August 17, the Perris Station Special Enforcement and Problem Oriented Policing Teams (SET/POP), with the assistance...

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California man arrested in cold case murders of women strangled to death


James Gary allegedly killed two women in separate murders in 1980 and 1996 before committing a sexual assault last year that lead investigators to him, authorities said July 22, 3022 A 76-year-old California man has been charged with two cold case homicides that occurred years apart in which the female victims were strangled to death, authorities s...

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SFPD seizes almost $200K worth of stolen goods


Actually in court? July 24,2022 SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The San Francisco Police Department seized nearly $200,000 worth of stolen goods while serving a search warrant on Wednesday, police announced in a press release. SFPD arrested Sergio Manuel Puga-Tenorio, 38, of San Francisco as the primary suspect. The department's Burglary Unit and Organized ...

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6 arrested after SJPD uncovers underground bunker with $100K worth of stolen goods inside


July 13, 2022SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A commercial burglary investigation led San Jose police patrol officers to a sophisticated underground bunker  at a homeless encampment near Coyote Creek and Wool Creek Drive.Inside, officers report finding $100,000 worth of stolen items stashed away. Photos shared by SJPD show the entryway to t...

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Police chief says it could take 2 years to fully reconcile evidence


'Infrastructure in dire need' June 11, 2022 ONTARIO — Security updates to the evidence room at Ontario Police Department are expected to take place sometime in the next couple of months. However, it could be up to two years to get fully reconciled on processing evidence. That was the latest update delivered from Police Chief Michael Iwai to the Ont...

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More than $200,000 collected during drug raids goes missing from a police station safe, sparking an internal investigation as one officer takes stress leave


It's believed a senior officer has taken stress leave while investigation continues June 1, 2022 More than $200,000 in cash has allegedly gone missing from a police station, leading to one senior officer reportedly taking sick leave. An investigation has been launched into the alleged disappearance of the cash from a safe at western Sydney station....

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Salt Lake City Cold Case Murder Linked to Stolen Gas Dispute Was Solved After 48 Years Because Two Retired Detectives Had Lunch


Detectives then requested the Salt Lake City Police Department's Crime Lab to run Toone's DNA against two latent fingerprints collected at the scene from 1974 May 31,2022 James Bednarik was 39 years old when he was shot to death at his own home in 1974. Now, almost half a century later, police in Salt Lake City say they've finally solved the long-p...

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Galt 34-year-old cold case murder solved after DNA match on fingernail scrapings, officials say


DNA match on the victim's fingernail scrapings has identified Hultgren's killer, a transient and sex offender who lived under a bridge on Highway 99 until his death in 2011, May 18, 2022 GALT, Calif. — For more than three decades, the killing of 79-year-old Lucille Hultgren in her home in Galt has gone unsolved. It's been the small Sacramento ...

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‘A nightmare’: family says they discovered ecstasy inside toy box ordered online


Lakewood Police say they tested the pills, and they came back positive for ecstasy. May 13, 2022 at 6:08 pm PDT PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A Pierce County family opened up a gift for their 4-year-old's birthday, but instead of a toy inside, the family says they found a package full of drugs. Lakewood Police say they tested the pills, and they came back...

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29-Year Old Cold Case Solved


In 2019, cold-case detectives at the Sheriff's Office partnered with the DNA Doe Project t (the Project) to see if DNA and genealogy could be used to uncover a name. April 20, 2022 Some 29 years after the body of an unknown homicide victim turned up on California State Route 152 in unincorporated Gilroy, the County of Santa Clara Office of the Sher...

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Two SFPD Officers Arrested for Destroying Evidence, Ex-Officer Arrested for Swiping Machine Gun From Evidence Room


Retired officer Mark Willams "was working, part-time, in the gun destruction unit of the Property Control Division at SFPD April 20, 2022 Two separate SFPD scandals hit the fan at the same time, as two current officers were arrested for destroying evidence (including meth, allegedly) and a former officer was arrested for relieving the evidence room...

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Honolulu cold case murder mystery solved?


Police said the 57-year-old suspect died in 2013 April 14, 2022 HONOLULU (KHON2) — On November 3, 1994, a female was found dead in her Waikiki apartment. Reports indicated that 37-year-old Lisa Fracassi was strangled to death. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news But who was responsible for this tragedy...

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34 Years After Mom's Murder in Santee, Detectives Tell Son They Found Her Killer


DNA led to the man believed to be her killer March 17, 2022 When Mark Beyer was just 2 years old, the toddler was found wandering around in his Santee apartment complex. The reason the boy was unaccompanied that day in 1988: His mother, Diane Dahn, had been murdered. When Mark Beyer was just 2 years old, the toddler was found wandering around in hi...

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DNA cold case: California man convicted of woman’s murder 42 years after crime


On Wednesday, which was Wilson's 73rd birthday, a Sacramento County jury found him guilty of Brooks' murder, with the special circumstances because it occurred in the course of a sexual assault. March 11, 2022 By Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California deputies came for Phillip Lee Wilson 40 years t...

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13 saddles found in Boulder County


Boulder County Sheriff's Office attempting to locate owners March 4, 2022 Along the side of the road one Boulder County Sheriff's deputy spotted a strange sight, yesterday, a pile of 13 worn horse saddles. According to Carrie Haverfield, public information specialist for the Boulder County Sheriff's office, not much is currently known about the sad...

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Crescent City to sell guns from police evidence locker

Griffin said he wanted guidance from the council before moving forward. February 7, 2022 Crescent City will soon begin selling guns it has been storing in the police evidence locker. The city council voted unanimously to authorize the police department to sell the guns, some that were used in crimes, but many simply left behind over the last few de...

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O.C. sheriff’s sergeant may have perjured himself in court, assistant public defender says

Larson allegedly played roles in two of the biggest scandals to rock the Orange County Sheriff's Department in recent years — the evidence mishandling and snitch scandals.  Enter Article DATE HERE An Orange County sheriff's sergeant may have perjured himself in court when speaking about his role in two high-profile scandals, according to ...

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Colorado police solve four decades-old homicide cold cases with DNA from exhumed killer

Colorado have solved the decades-old cases of the deaths of four females, saying the killer was a man who died by suicide in jail in 1981 Jan 28, 2022 Using genetic genealogy and familial DNA, police in Colorado have solved the decades-old cases of the deaths of four females, saying the killer was a man who died by suicide in jail in 1981. The thre...

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Suspect arrested in 1978 San Francisco cold case: DA

Marc Stanley Personnette, 76, has been charged with suspicion of homicide for murdering and sexually assaulting Harvey. January 27, 2022 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — A 76-year-old suspect has been arrested for the 1978 sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Marissa Harvey in San Francisco. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced ...

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California woman killed in 1977 identified by cold case team

Remains were identified after a possible match was found between DNA of possible relatives and DNA in a state missing persons database, January 20, 2022 RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California woman who was killed in 1977 has been identified by a cold case team, authorities said Friday. A skull and other skeletal remains found in 1986 w...

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Ex-Kern County deputy Logan August released from prison

August stole high-grade marijuana from a sheriff's office evidence room in March 2015 January 11, 2022 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Logan August, a former Kern County deputy who stole hundreds of pounds of marijuana and conspired with another deputy to put the drugs on the street, has been released from prison. August, 35, was released Monday to po...

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DNA helps Klamath County investigators identify suspect in unsolved 1978 double murder


The young couple had been hitchhiking through Oregon, possibly to visit Crater Lake, when they disappeared sometime in September of 1978. Both had been shot, their bodies discarded in the woods. January 6, 2022 KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The long-cold case of a couple murdered near Lake of the Woods in 1978 at last has something approaching closure, tha...

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Firestone police chief retires after investigation reveals procedural issues

A number of operational issues were discovered during the investigation and included: serious deficiencies about the operations of the evidence and property room December 22, 2021  Longtime Firestone Chief of Police David Montgomery retired this year, following a months-long investigation into the police department that officials said revealed...

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Former South Coast Sheriff's deputy gets jail sentence after prosecutors say he destroyed evidence in a case

Prosecutors say the deputy threw away a drug test for a woman which showed negative results. December 22, 2021 A former deputy sheriff on the South Coast has been sentenced to jail for destroying evidence in a case. Prosecutors say Richard Charles Barrios threw away key evidence in a case. In 2019, the Ventura County Sheriff's deputy stopped a fema...

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SFPD Arrests 76-Year-Old Colorado Man in Cold-Case Murder From 1978

Marissa was found strangled after she left to go horseback riding in Golden Gate Park,"  December 21, 2021 Teenager Marissa Rolf Harvey was found dead in Sutro Heights in 1978, but thanks to "advanced forensic investigative techniques," SFPD found a suspect in Colorado and arrested him for that murder on Thursday. When a murder case has gone c...

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Las Vegas police to get $1.1M to help process rape kits, other DNA evidence

This grant will help the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department quickly and efficiently process key forensic tests, including sexual assault kits and DNA evidence left at crime scenes, December 10, 2021 LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -- The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is going to get $1.1 million in funding to help process sexual assault kits and ...

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855 Hits

Suspect charged in 25-year-old cold case murder in Northern California


Investigators submitted additional DNA evidence to the crime lab in 2020 where it was able to be analyzed for the first time and it matched a California inmate. December 10, 2021 Authorities in Northern California have charged a suspect already serving a life sentence with the 1996 cold case murder of a 21-year-old woman, the sheriff's department s...

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The O.C. sheriff fired a deputy for tossing evidence. Now he has to be reinstated

Torres was terminated in 2019 after he admitted to discarding a gram of white powder, a methamphetamine pipe, a replica gun and several hypodermic syringes that he had not booked into evidence Enter Article DATE HERE The Orange County Sheriff's Department has been ordered to reinstate a deputy who was fired for throwing evidence into the trash...

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State inmate charged in 25-year-old Crockett cold case homicide

The big break for investigators came last year, when detectives submitted additional evidence to a DNA crime lab to be tested using current technology. December 10, 2021 A California state prison inmate has been charged with murder in the cold case killing of a waitress 25 years ago in Crockett, authorities said Thursday. Danny Lamont Hamilton, cur...

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Las Vegas police: 1979 cold case murder of Western High student solved


The evidence linked 19-year-old Johnny Blake Peterson as the suspect in Bryant's death, police said. November 24, 2021 LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -- The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced Monday that a cold case homicide from 1979 has been solved thanks to a donation from a local philanthropist. According to LVMPD Lt. Ray Spencer, the cold ca...

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LAPD Officer, 2 Others Hospitalized After Possible Fentanyl Exposure In Porter Ranch

officer who responded to the scene also reported feeling light-headed November 22, 2021 According to LAFD officials, a parole officer was conducting a check on a resident at the Sonoma at Porter Ranch apartment community. The parole officer reported feeling light-headed and saw a substance on a table inside the apartment, then called for backup. An...

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California sheriff's deputies say they didn't know it was illegal to lie about evidence on police reports: report

Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents September 28, 2021 Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents, an offense that led to their firing and convic...

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California sheriff's deputies say they didn't know it was illegal to lie about evidence on police reports: report

The sheriff's department says deputies are 'repeatedly' trained 'on evidence, chain of custody, and booking of evidence' Enter Article DATE HERE Two former Orange County sheriff's deputies told a California grand jury they did not know it was against the law to falsify police documents, an offense that led to their firing and conviction amid a...

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1000 Hits

Council urges city manager to find entity to complete purge for police evidence room

The purge is tied to the outcome of an audit which revealed there may be more missing from the evidence room than the initial $900 in cash that couldn't be found, triggering the need for an audit by an outside agency. October 25, 2021 ONTARIO — Following an executive session on Friday afternoon, the Ontario City Council gave the city manager marchi...

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Sheriff's No. 2 Apologizes For, But Doesn't Disavow, Viral Fentanyl Video

Video has been widely discredited by public health experts, toxicologists and doctors who said the widespread hysteria over handling fentanyl harmed the ability of police and first responders to treat people who do overdose. October 25, 2021 Undersheriff Kelly Martinez, the second in command at the San Diego County Sheriff's department, said she wa...

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Man indicted in cold case murder, accused of killing wife in Oregon 25 years ago


Despite several attempts to identify the woman, she remained unidentified until 2019 when a new DNA technique was used to put a name to her remains. September 13, 2021 MILL CREEK, Ore. – A 68-year-old is facing charges in a cold case murder from 1996, accused of killing his wife in Oregon after her skeletal remains were recently identified through ...

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Update: Audit for missing evidence spurs criminal investigation

The audit, which was conducted in July, was spurred as a result of a court case having wrapped up and OPD being unable to find the related evidence — $900 in cash — that was to be to be returned to the victim. September 1, 2021 ONTARIO — A criminal investigation is underway over evidence that is missing from the Ontario Police Department. Oregon St...

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