After three days of deliberation, a jury found a former LAPD detective guilty of the killing of her ex-boyfriend's wife in 1986. The detective had been a member of the LAPD for only two years at the time of the death, when police found the body of a 29-year-old hospital nursing director badly beaten with multiple gunshot wounds in her Los Angeles home on February 24, 1986.
Police did not immediately suspect the LAPD detective, even though they knew she had a long-term romantic relationship with the victim's husband before he married the nursing director. The case went cold when investigators couldn't find any evidence leading to the suspects, but was reopened in 2004 by LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division cold case detectives who discovered DNA evidence in the case. With no match linking the DNA to any of the profiles in the database, the case went cold again.
The case was reopened again in 2009 as part of a systematic review of cold cases, and they began looking at the LAPD detective as a possible suspect. After a DNA sample was retrieved from her person, police were able to link her to the killing. The Chief of the LAPD apologized to the victim's family for the more than two decades that it took to solve the case and bring justice to the situation.
When a police officer is convicted of murder or any type of crime, it can make us question whether or not they are being honest in their day-to-day work. It is possible that this LAPD detective accused several other individuals of committing the murder so that she could avoid suspicion. If you have been accused of a crime in Los Angeles or the surrounding neighborhoods in Los Angeles, you need the help of an experienced Los Angeles criminal attorney who will fight for your rights. Contact a Los Angeles criminal lawyer at our firm today to learn more about how we can defend you and fight your charges.