{Beckley, West Virginia}...Raleigh County officials said Wednesday that drug cases going back 15 months are being dismissed because the evidence is missing from the Beckley Police Department's property room. Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Keller says that once evidence control is compromised, the prosecutor's office has no choice but to dismiss the charges. Previous convictions or guilty pleas also could potentially be vacated if a person or his or her attorney believes that the chain of custody for the evidence in their case was compromised. Cases in which drugs were placed at the sheriff's department or the West Virginia State Police will not be affected. During a Wednesday news conference, Beckley Police Chief Tim Deems said that Gabriella Brown, the technician responsible for the department's evidence room, went on medical leave late last week. Deems also said that he notified U.S. Attorney R. Booth Goodwin's office about the matter Wednesday morning. An internal inventory of the department's evidence holding room is underway.
