I almost had something you don't have!  In Burbank (CA) early this year a man was charged with attempting to poison his neighbor's dogs by throwing chocolate into the yard where they were kept.  He had complained to the Animal Shelter about the dogs barking, but then may have tried to handle the problem himself with kindness.  Unfortunately, veterinarians say that the large bag of M & Ms and the 10 pound bar of Ghiradelli chocolate thrown into the dogs' yard could cause seizures and cardiac arrhythmia leading to death.  The owner arrived home in time to get medical treatment for Mocha and Canela, who happen to be "chocolate" labradors, and both survived.  Luckily the investigator assigned determined the remaining sticky mess had no evidentiary value.

Also this year, U.S. Customs Service held a news conference at their Rancho Dominguez (CA) warehouse to show off some seized property.  Project Teed Off, which targeted counterfeit golf clubs, took as evidence counterfeit Callaway, Taylor Made, King Cobra and Titleist clubs packed waist high on nine wooden pallets.  That's over 300 cubic feet of golf clubs!  Do you have that much space available?  Three arrests were made, and it was estimated that the market in counterfeit clubs was double the $2 million market for legitimate clubs and accessories.

A recent Arizona I.A.P.E. class produced some great entries.  Janet Finley, Arizona DPS in Flagstaff, has frozen bear vomit in er property room.  It must have been a good month for freezers, becasue Karen Gwaltney, Apache Junction (AZ) Police Department has frozen Africanized killer bees, and Kimberly Peete, North Las Vegas (NV) Police Department has a frozen carpet with organic evidence from the body it had been wrapped around.

Dawn Teefey, Grand Traverse County Sheriff s Department in Traverse City (MI), has a four year-old sandwich, while Becky Russell, San Juan County Sheriff s Department in Aztec (NM), has a two inch-long twig.

A Utah class produced some classics.  Dinosaur bones are held in the property room of C. Scott Meyers, Lincoln County Sheriff's Department.  Detective Bill Middleton,

Garfield County Sheriff s Department, reports that their property room has a jail registry with Ted Bundy's signature (from before he escaped!) John Stoner, Salt Lake City Police Department, has a peace pipe as evidence, and Loi Niko, West Valley Police Department, has a toilet plunger.

A New York class also produced some unique entries, including Sergeant Bruce McClure, of Westchester County (NY) Police Department, who has an empty box measuring three feet square.  Perhaps they could offer it to Becky Russell to store the twig!!!

There were some other entries that were in the running, as well.  One of the more senior pieces of evidence is a quart of gasoline which has been in the custody of Property Manager James Beck of the Lockhart (TX) Police Department, since 1982.

Live animals cause special problems for two property rooms.  Evidence Technician Michael Morgan, Hillsborough County (FL) Sheriff's Office, has a pair of fighting cocks, and Frank Ross,
Clarkstown (NY) Police Department, has a six foot boa constrictor.

Animal parts were big again this issue.  Detective Mike Puzio, Morris County (NY) Sheriff s Office, has a cow's eye, while Environmental Officer Brian Shea, NY State D.E.S. (Fish & Game) has a gall bladder from a back bear.

The winner for this issue comes from CNN, however, not a class.  It seems that U.S. Customs hit the jackpot again when they seized a four billion year-old piece of moon rock brought back by the Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972.  It was seized when it was offered for sale to an undercover agent.  The rock has been
authenticated, and it had been given to the Honduran government on a plaque in 1973 by President Nixon.  The person from whom it was seized said that he received it from a retired Honduran military official.  Although the attempted sale violated no law and agents were unable to confirm that the rock was illegally obtained, they declared it contraband, saying that it had not been declared when it was brought back into the United States.