Opinion ID: 811594
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Livers’ and Sampson’s Charges are Dropped

Text: In June or July of 2006, Commander Kofoed told the Omaha World-Herald newspaper that his finding of Wayne Stock’s blood in Will’s car may have resulted from cross-contamination. Sampson remained incarcerated until the charges against him were dismissed on October 6, 2006. On December 5, 2006, Cass County Attorney Cox dismissed the charges against Livers, which Cox said rested on Livers’ confession and Commander Kofoed’s claimed finding of Wayne Stock’s blood in Will’s car, noting a forensic psychologist concluded Livers “may have been coerced into a confession.” Reid and Fester pled guilty to the murders in March 2007 and received life sentences. 5. Allegations of Misconduct Against Commander Kofoed DCCSI employee Darnel Kush claimed she suspected in October 2006 that Commander Kofoed was planting fingerprints at crime scenes, though she did not communicate this concern to her supervisors.7 Kush eventually reported her concern about Commander Kofoed’s evidence tampering to the FBI. 6 “[A]n IQ of 70 or less indicates mental retardation.” Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 1680 (28th ed. 2006). 7 Kush claims she did not report this suspicion to her supervisors because they reacted negatively to Kush’s earlier complaints that Commander Kofoed “created a negative environment,” impugned Kush’s “reputation and . . . honor,” and forged a letter of commendation for himself. -14- The FBI informed Sheriff Dunning in 2008 it was investigating allegations Commander Kofoed was tampering with evidence. Sheriff Dunning asserts this is the first he learned about possible problems with evidence tampering by Commander Kofoed. After learning of the FBI’s investigation, Sheriff Dunning placed Commander Kofoed on administrative leave and initiated an Internal Affairs (IA) investigation of Commander Kofoed’s conduct in the Stock murder investigation. The IA investigation concluded “there is no evidence to prove KOFOED planted the blood. On the contrary, there are mitigating circumstances . . . suggesting crosscontamination.” The investigators did note “some ‘administrative lapses’ by KOFOED regarding the timeliness of reports and a chain-of-custody issue.” Commander Kofoed told the IA investigators he suspected cross-contamination occurred. In March 2010, Commander Kofoed was convicted on state charges of felony tampering with physical evidence. Commander Kofoed was also charged with—and ultimately acquitted of—several violations of federal law based on his conduct in the Stock homicide investigation. There are allegations Commander Kofoed may have tampered with evidence in other cases, though there is no indication in this record Sheriff Dunning knew of this possibility until after the charges against Livers and Sampson were dismissed.