One more case is being thrown out after a Braintree Police evidence room scandal.
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Braintree officials released the results of an audit on Wednesday about missing drugs, guns and money from the police department’s evidence room dating all the way back to 1999.
An audit of the police department’s evidence room carried out by the city found missing drugs, guns and cash, Morrissey’s office said.
The audit focused on a period of time from 2013 to May of this year while Officer Susan Zopatti was assigned to oversee the evidence room.
Mayor Sullivan said all but 12 firearms identified as missing in the audit have been accounted for.
“I find the auditor’s report of unaccounted-for items and poor record-keeping practices to be deeply troubling and unacceptable”, said Sullivan. “New protocols and procedures on the handling and storage of evidence have already been established”. Sources said she shot herself in the torso just days after police began an audit of the evidence room.
“We’ve been contacting defense attorneys with what we learned, as we learned it”, said David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.
The first five Braintree cases were dismissed on Monday and Tuesday by Norfolk Superior Court judges at the request of prosecutors.
It’s unclear how many criminal cases could be impacted by the missing evidence but six drug cases have already been dismissed this week by MA prosecutors.
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Thousands of Bay State drug cases were dismissed after the discovery in 2011 that former state chemist Annie Dookhan had tampered samples and falsified results.
