Omaha crime scene investigator accused of planting evidence.

The commander of the Douglas County crime scene investigations unit is facing federal and state charges over accusations that he planted evidence in the car of two wrongly accused suspects in a Nebraska couple's murder.
The case has raised questions from some defense attorneys about other criminal cases in which Kofoed handled evidence.
Jerry Soucie with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy said Thursday that he has been in touch with several prosecutors concerning criminal cases on which Kofoed has worked, although he would not name the attorneys or the cases.
"This is really a big deal," Soucie said. "When you start drawing into question the reliability of forensic evidence in a case, it makes it difficult not only for prosecutors but for defense lawyers as well. "Historically, defense counsel relies on the integrity of conduct by lab personnel. And if we lose that, then we have to go into every lab personnel's notes and evidence logs and things that we typically don't do."

This article shows the need for private investigators to look more closely at lab personnel etc. in uncovering possible problems in other states.


Link:http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=7413793