UPDATE: Crime Scene Tech Suspended for Failing to Submit Evidence to Crime Lab
2:16 PM
An internal investigation into what caused the 40 day delay in submitting evidence to the Arkansas State Crime- has been completed.
On March 29, Pine Bluff Police executed a search warrant at the home of Dr. Larry Amos in relation to the disappearance of Cleashindra Denise Hall. Hall, who vanished on May 9, 1994- was last seen that night at the Amos home.
Information obtained via a recently filed Freedom of Information Act request- details a crime scene technician telling an investigator she packaged the items taken from Dr. Larry Amos' home. However, once the packaged evidence reached the PBPD's evidence room- she realized she needed additional information for the submission form. However, she did not get around to it.
The technician responded, "It's not that I forgot it was there. It just got pushed aside for something else. The first time I realized that I really had to get it done was when Sergeant (whose name has been blacked out) called me.
"If you're a crime scene technician and you're accustomed to handling evidence, what would make that day be different?" Laurell Hall, Cleashindra's mother, said.
Laurell Hall cannot understand how a technician with who has been with the department for nearly 20 years- wouldn't realize how crucial it was for that evidence to reach the lab- immediately.
"The fact that there were so many people, so many officers, it seems like that evidence would have important so what made it so different that you didn't follow the procedures that you follow everyday?" Laurell said.
The crime scene technician received a five day suspension without pay, however, the Halls are not satisfied.
"How can she verify that they weren't tainted and she handled them, handled them all the time and she can swear in a court of law that they weren't tainted," Laurell said.
The March 29th search was the first time investigators were able to search the property in nearly 18 years.
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