How do I submit evidence to be tested by the laboratory? Missouri

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The MSHP Crime Laboratory Division will accept evidence from any law enforcement agency, regulatory agency, or law enforcement function branch of an agency in or of the State of Missouri or the Federal Government of the United States. All evidence received must be associated with a criminal investigation. Evidence associated with civil litigation will not be accepted. DNA evidence and convicted offender blood samples will be accepted according to the criteria outlined in the MSHP DNA Profiling Service Pamphlet and RSMo 650.055. Law enforcement agencies and crime laboratories requesting DNA profiling searches on forensic crime scene samples or offender information will be required to submit their request according to the MSHP Guidelines for Convicted Offender Sample and CODIS Database Usage. All evidence received by the Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory must have a proper seal installed. A proper seal is defined as closure of the container by any number of various sealing devices which will protect the contents from loss, cross transfer, contamination or degradation during routine handling. The seal should be such that entry into the container will result in obvious damage and/or alteration to the container or its seal and is further authenticated by the initials or identifying mark of an individual responsible for the container's contents. Evidence that is too large to be sealed (vehicle body parts, mattress, house doors, etc.) will be stored in a secure area of the laboratory and examined as soon as possible. The Laboratory will not repeat or duplicate forensic examinations that have previously been performed by another laboratory not affiliated with the MSHP Laboratory System. Supplemental testing that has not been performed on previously examined specimens will be conducted only if a copy of the original laboratory’s report accompanies the submitted evidence. The Laboratory will not repeat or duplicate forensic examinations that have been performed by any member of the staff of the MSHP Laboratory System. The exceptions to this policy are those occasions when re-examinations are performed as a quality control check or the examiner’s casework is being evaluated as part of a documented corrective action. Generally all evidence, and samples collected from evidence, will be returned to the submitting agency when the forensic examinations are completed. With written authorization and the signature of the individual from the submitting agency who is responsible for the evidence, the laboratory staff may dispose of coroner or medical examiner blood samples, Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training samples, and Liquor Control regulatory beverage samples if so directed. A Disposition of Evidence form (pink sheet), a signed letter, or other signed documentation from the submitting agency requesting samples to be destroyed will be maintained in the case file. Any markings that identify a victim or a suspect will be removed or permanently obliterated from the sample before it is destroyed. All items will be disposed of safely and properly.