OSBI Completes Investigation Inside Bethany Police Department

OSBI agents will turn over its findings in a theft investigation inside the Bethany Police Department to the Oklahoma County District Attorney.

State investigators have been looking into allegations of stolen evidence. Agents were looking at three Bethany officers assigned to the department's property room.

The DA's office tells News 9 that about a half dozen cases investigated by Bethany Police have already been affected, and there could be more.

Police Chief Phil Cole tells News 9 two of the three officers investigated have returned to work. One remains on paid administrative leave.

It all started earlier this year when state investigators said there were problems with evidence Bethany submitted to the OSBI crime lab.

"Several months ago, the Bethany Police Department requested OSBI do an investigation into the allegation of possible missing evidence from the Bethany Police Department property room," OSBI Public Information Officer Jessica Brown said.

Chief Cole tells News 9 that one of the detectives who worked the Carina Saunders murder case was one of the officers being investigated.

OSBI took over the Saunders case in February, and prosecutors dropped charges against two prime suspects due to lack of evidence.

Cole says the property missing is unrelated to the Saunders case.

We're told prescription pills were reported missing. Now OSBI will meet with DA David Prater and turn over its findings after a lengthy investigation.

"Polygraph, obviously interviews, forensics, different things like that, we use all of those, get all the information from those different investigative tools, and put all that information into a prosecution report. It's quite a lengthy report," Brown said.

The DA's office says prosecutors haven't had to dismiss any cases related to the missing property at this point.

Chief Cole confirms he has also received a copy of the OSBI report.