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Here is another reason to eliminate the death penalty - evidence tampering! Congratulations to the justice system for prosecuting David Kofoed for his wrongdoing instead of covering up his crime! I'm impressed. See the AP report excerpt below:

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. — The former chief crime scene investigator of Nebraska's most populous county was sentenced to up to four years in prison Tuesday for planting blood evidence in a 2006 murder investigation. David Kofoed, 53, was sentenced to between 20 months and 4 years in prison for tampering with evidence in a Cass County case in which two men were wrongly charged in a double murder. The men spent several months in jail before they were cleared.

"Nothing should undermine the confidence in the system," Cass County District Judge Randall Rehmeier said after reading excerpts from letters written by the two men. Rehmeier, who could have sentenced Kofoed to probation or a maximum of five years in prison, said the seriousness of the crime merited prison.

"I think there is some poetic justice to the sentence," special prosecutor Clarence Mock said, noting that Kofoed must spend 10 months in prison — roughly the combined total that Matthew Livers and Nicholas Sampson spent behind bars — before he is eligible for parole.

Kofoed maintains his innocence and plans to appeal his March conviction.

Kofoed was the commander of Douglas County's CSI unit, one of the state's largest crime labs that handles cases from across Nebraska and some other states.

Prosecutors said Kofoed planted a speck of blood in a car linked to Livers and Nicholas, but Kofoed blamed accidental contamination. The blood was the only physical evidence that tied the two men to the shotgun slayings of Wayne and Sharmon Stock of rural Murdock, and it helped keep both in jail.

A man and woman from Wisconsin eventually pleaded guilty to murdering the couple and are serving life prison terms. Rehmeier set a $50,000 cash bond Tuesday that could have allowed Kofoed to remain free while he appeals, but defense attorney Steve Lefler said his client couldn't afford it.

Kofoed was escorted to jail after the hearing. Lefler argued for probation, saying Kofoed had been punished enough. He lost his career after the conviction and his house and truck because of the cost to defend himself.

"I'm disappointed that Dave is doing any jail time at all," Lefler said. Mock said the sentence was appropriate. Livers and Sampson asked the judge to impose a severe sentence.

"The harm Mr. Kofoed committed against me is almost beyond description," Sampson wrote in his letter to the judge.

Kofoed had been commander of Douglas County's CSI unit since 2000 before he was fired in March.

Read the entire report at this link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRklP14iedGcfsXq0zrU7enYgZZQD9G2QCP00

Oops! The Censorship force is at work! I was not given a rich text screen at first.  By the way, I am NOT working on my home PC, so this cannot be censorship by people who ordinarily take over my home PC via remote access. The problem has to be at Care2 this time, or rather, the cyberstalkers who have control over members' input at Care2. See more examples of my censorship at my YouTube channel - jkempp703 - New video examples are added all the time. I may add this one.

Congratulations on this prosecution.

Mary Neal
http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com/

Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill http://www.Care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI