Search Warrant Served on Phoenix Cops for DNA Samples in Murder Investigation

Phoenix, AZ--There can be no doubt that investigators are convinced that Phoenix Police Sergeant Sean Drenth’s killing was a murder and that a fellow officer or officers are suspected of committing that crime.

Investigators originally sought the samples from officers on a voluntary basis but after they refused, a Search Warrant was quickly sought and served on them. The officer being forced to provide DNA samples are all part of an ongoing theft investigation related to paid off-duty security work. Nearly 30 officer were caught up in the allegations.

The theory of the investigators is that Sgt. Drenth may have been murdered by one or more fellow officers to silence him in the ongoing investigation. Drenth was found shot-gunned to death in a deserted alley near an empty State Capital parking lot on October 18, 2010 by security workers.

To obtain the Search Warrant investigators had to submit a sworn affidavit containing probable cause that one or more of the officers were involved in the Murder. That affidavit will become a public record very quickly once every DNA sample has been collected.

I can’t help but suspect that in such a large group someone won’t cut an immunity deal to implicate others. This would be tricky since prosecutors will want some piece of additional evidence consistent with the testimony.

This Murder case may come to a very ugly and rapid conclusion. I can’t help but believe prosecutors will be asking for the Death Penalty against a Phoenix cop or cops in this terribly sad case.

I suspect that this case will keep Phoenix defense lawyers and their private investigators busy for many years to come.