Police Evidence Was Improperly Stored

Evidence from 8,000 criminal cases has been mislabeled and improperly stored in the Houston Police Department’s property room, police said.

The evidence, much of it from murder investigations, is in 280 boxes and dates from 1979 to 1991, police said. An evidence box should contain material from only one case, according to department rules. Police Chief Harold Hurtt said it would take about a year for the department to finish going over the evidence. He blamed the situation on “poor work habits” and “sloppy efforts” by crime lab personnel.