Public Complaint No. 1668518920 - 376050877

In 2019 a full evidence vault inventory was completed at the Kissimmee Police Department (KPD) in the Evidence Unit where numerous items of evidence, including a package of almost 90 grams of cannabis, and a laptop in a homicide investigation, were identified as missing. Despite KPD knowing these items of evidence could not be located, public records requests show that it seems that the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) was not notified until September of 2020, well over a year later. In the memo sent to the SAO by Captain Brandon Layne, he enclosed letters to be sent by the SAO to the defendants in those cases notifying them of the missing evidence. It is presumable that many of those defendants' cases moved along in the judicial process during the entire year that elapsed that KPD failed to notify them of the missing evidence in their cases. In July of 2019, the same evidence vault sustained an overhead flood from pipes above the storage shelves. The leaking pipes had been reported to the administration of KPD numerous times through the years and was address with Forensic Supervisor Helms numerous times. Despite the obvious potential for catastrophic consequences, the chain of command for the Forensics/Evidence Unit, Forensics Supervisor Helms, and Deputy Chief Betty Holland simply had a city maintenance person band-aid the leaks in the overhead pipes. In the vault flood, 6,798 items were damaged/destroyed, without knowing how many other pieces may have been cross contaminated from dripping/running water. Notification was made to the SAO by Captain Tambasco at that time. According to Tambasco, he placed the completed list of damaged/destroyed items on Hollands desk at her instruction and was told she was arranging to have notification to defendants made. A public records request to the SAO showed that the SAO did not make notification to any defendants and or their attorneys in those cases. A public records request to the Kissimmee Police Department also shows that notification about the destroyed evidence was not made to the defendants/attorneys in those cases by them either. Instead of making direct notification to each defendant/attorney involved the Kissimmee Police Department simply placed a letter about the flood in each corresponding file. At this time, it is known that several defendants in cases that had evidence destroyed (evidence that could have been exculpatory as well) pled out to their charges without being made aware that the evidence in their case had been destroyed or was missing. It is also unknown how many of these cases will eventually come up for appeal, without the knowledge about the destroyed evidence eventually. The actions of Forensics/Evidence Supervisor Helms, Deputy Chief Holland who was assigned over the Forensics/Evidence Unit, and Chief Jeff Odell in failing ensure defendants and their respective legal defense were made immediately aware of the missing/destroyed evidence pertaining to their cases, prior to their cases being adjudicated constitute neglect of duty and may have had far reaching negative consequences for those defendants, some of who pled to charges, unaware that the evidence in their cases had been compromised.