Snafu at Kane Co. coroners office pulled plug on evidence fridge

By Gloria Casas For Sun-Times Media August 8, 2014 7:52PM

Kane County Coroner Rob Russell checks out the room where autopsies are usually held and where evidence is stored in refrigerators and freezers. | Gloria Casas~For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: August 8, 2014 10:15PM

Kane County authorities must do an inventory of evidence held in two refrigerators that were accidentally turned off when crews were cleaning mold in the Kane County Coroners office last month.

Some samples may be compromised, Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said. We may have lost some samples in that snafu.

Russells staff is combing through the items stored in the refrigerators to develop a list to give to the States Attorneys Office, he said.

States Attorney Joe McMahon said Friday that he was informed of the situation July 29. His office requested an inventory of the items and the investigations or cases to which they are connected, he said.

I dont believe this will have any negative impact on pending criminal cases, McMahon said, adding that he does not think evidence in any pending murder cases is affected. He said he believes the evidence may be related to cases that are 12 to 13 years old.

But Russell said there was evidence from cases dating from 2001 to this year.

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Snafu at Kane Co. coroners office pulled plug on evidence fridge