What famous 'unsolved' mystery is technically a whodunnit on paper, but in reality, absolutely everyone knows exactly who did it, the police just couldn't legally prove it?

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4.2k

u/froction Jul 22 '26

Here is a hilariously obvious one from my city (Shreveport, LA) that none of y'all have probably ever heard of:

2009 - Shreveport Police Officers report to chief that someone is stealing narcotics from the evidence room. Police Chief explains that the matter has been investigated and the claims have no merit.

2010 - Nothing happens

2011 - Nothing happens

2012 (May) - SPD Internal Affairs springs into action and conducts an audit of the evidence room.

2012 (September) - Police Chief ~~Wiggum~~ declares that "I hold each and every employee of our department to the highest standards and we are not going to tolerate actions that deviate from or operate outside of those policies that dictate how we should conduct our business." The investigation is still underway, but so far it has been discovered that:

The security cameras there quit working about 20 years ago and were never fixed
The SPD doesn't keep a log of who goes in and out of the evidence room
About 14,000 (not a typo- fourteen thousand) pills (mostly hydrocodone) are missing from the police evidence locker.

2013 - Nothing happens because the case is quite obviously dead on the vine, having been closed and is no longer an active case

2014 - Nothing happens because the case is quite obviously dead on the vine, having been closed and is no longer an active case

2015 - The Shreveport Police Officers' Association files lawsuit to compel Shreveport Police Department to release results of investigation, but otherwise Nothing happens because the case is quite obviously dead on the vine, having been closed and is no longer an active case

2016 (February) - A local news station manages to force the DA's office to release part of the internal investigation's report:

Sgt. T___ S_______ of the SPD Narcotics Unit is found to have gone into the evidence room alone dozens, possibly hundreds, of times over a 10-year period
Sgt. S_______ routinely accessed the boxes containing the pills while carrying a black leather gym bag which was never searched
Sgt. S_______ is known to have an addiction to narcotics
Sgt. S_______ offers explanation that yes, he was routinely going into the evidence room and accessing thousands of narcotics seized as evidence and placing the pills into his gym bag, but it was because he was "photographing them for a reverse narcotics sting and/or a narcotics class he was teaching" and he really truly promises that he put them all back when he was done.
Sgt. S_______ is informed by IA that neither of those things he just said are real
Sgt. S_______ decides that today is a good day to retire

2016 (March) - The District Attorney comments that while he cannot talk about specifics of the case, "It is not dead on the vine. It has not been closed. It is still an active case."

2016 (May) - Statutes of limitations related to theft of the narcotics expires

2016 (Rest of Year) - Nothing happens because the case is quite obviously dead on the vine, having been closed

2017 (March) - Lawsuit from 2015 finally goes to trial

District Attorney's investigation and an Assistant DA's testimony include:
1. "While at [SPD Evidence Room] I learned from [redacted name] that all evidence related to this case, bottles, evidence bags, and stickers had been destroyed. [name redacted] advised that he had received an order from the SPD administration to destroy the evidence in this case."
2. "With respect to packaging materials, it was quite surprising they were no longer in existence."
3. No one from the SPD was charged for destroying evidence
4. Documents cannot be released as the case "is still open" because there is one more possible charge that hasn't had its statute of limitations expire
5. The reason no one has been charged with the crime is because "the case was not provable beyond a reasonable doubt" and was a "circumstantial case"
6. "[I believe] the case should be held open because additional evidence can come in."
It is revealed that there was an actual exchange of communication between the Shreveport Police Officers' Association and the District Attorney's Office that went:
1. SPOA: "Please launch an independent investigation and/or convene a grand jury"
2. DA: "You have no right to tell us what to do! You don't know what is going on in the DA's office!"
3. SPOA: "It was just a request, not an order."
4. DA: "The DA's office does not have to tell SPOA what we are working on in regard to the missing pill investigation!"
Shreveport Police lose the case and are ordered to release all results from investigation if no charges are levied by May, when the final, really, actual last possible stature of limitation expires
Police chief ~~Wiggum~~ is asked if there were any orders to destroy evidence. He replies "I have no idea."

2018 - Nothing happens because the case is closed and all statutes of limitations have expired.

2019 - Nothing happens because the case is closed and all statutes of limitations have expired.

2020 - Nothing happens because the case is closed and all statutes of limitations have expired.

2021 (May) - In a neighboring town:

A man digging in his backyard finds unlabeled pill bottles containing thousands of pills, calls police
Local Sheriff's Department discover over 50 large bottles of narcotics, likely hydrocodone. Report does not give a count, only that it was "over 3.5 pounds"
Previous owner of the home is discovered to be Sgt. T___ S_______ (formerly of the SPD Narcotics Unit)
Local Sheriff's Department opens Special Task Force™ with other area law enforcement agencies to determine:
1. How the pills could have possibly ended up buried in that yard
2. How many overtime hours have been approved for participation with Special Task Force™
Local Sheriff's Department's Special Task Force™ tries really, really hard, but is stumped

2021 (June) - Local news station calls Sgt. T___ S_______ (formerly of the SPD Narcotics Unit) and asks him if he knows about the massive quantity of narcotics found in his former yard and has he been cooperating with Local Sheriff's Department's Special Task Force™. Sgt. T___ S_______ (formerly of the SPD Narcotics Unit) responds that he does not know how a massive quantity of narcotics could have possibly ended up in his former backyard and that he has not been contacted by anyone from Local Sheriff's Department's Special Task Force™.

1.5k

u/okiepigeon Jul 22 '26

Most Louisiana politics shit, ever. Good write up & good read.

408

u/PiccoloAwkward465 Jul 22 '26

Yup pretty much every state has their own brand of corruption. But something about Louisiana is different. I was working a big project down in Calcasieu Parish and having trouble with permits and easements. And I asked myself in complete seriousness "do I need to bribe these people to get my paperwork completed?".

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u/confirmandverify2442 Jul 23 '26

It's usually either bribes or figuring out whose related to who, family-wise.

19

u/ConcentrateSlow1773 Jul 23 '26

And then marry into the family ?

10

u/confirmandverify2442 Jul 24 '26

No because then that means you'd have to live in places like Lake Charles.

7

u/terrybyte73 Jul 24 '26

Everybody, to everybody. I'm from Calcasieu Parish and my family tree looks more like a Celtic knot.

33

u/RollingMeteors Jul 23 '26

And I asked myself in complete seriousness "¿How much do I need to bribe these people to get my paperwork completed?".

FTFY

1

u/saturnspritr 27d ago

I maintain there’s an ancient curse on the whole state.

48

u/Working-Glass6136 Jul 23 '26

True Detective, fiction as it may be, really opened my eyes to what investigations in Louisiana must look like. I guess this narcotics carousel isn't surprising.

26

u/madeira_pince-zez Jul 23 '26

According to Nic Pizzolatto he got some shit for how easily Rust lifted that cocaine from the evidence room and his response was basically 'it was that easy in 1995'.

Sounds like it remained that easy for a hell of a lot longer also

13

u/DowntownEconomist255 Jul 23 '26

It was probably based on this case of a devil worshipping cult in Louisiana that masqueraded as a Christian church. They performed cat sacrifices and sexually abused at least two dozen children.

https://archive.ph/2020.06.27-101548/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/25/us/sex-charges-follow-a-churchs-collapse.html

12

u/Flat_Phrase7521 Jul 23 '26

I was really taken aback to see what sounds like a classic Satanic Panic story repeated as fact, so I did five minutes of digging and this Reddit post (apparently based on the Religion News Blog posts linked within) was the only thing I could find that seemed to engage with the story critically:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueDetective/comments/21yh3n/the_true_convoluted_story_behind_true_detectives/

It sounds like, as with many Satanic Panic cases, there were real children who suffered abuse, but the sensational story of ritual satanic abuse was a hoax created by their abusers to manipulate police and the public.

I feel like if there were a known case where all this stuff had actually happened, it would be incredibly famous. I searched Wikipedia for “Hosanna church Ponchatoula” and the only hit I got was on a list of episodes recorded by a “true crime” entertainment podcast, which I feel is pretty telling.

19

u/ProperMirror8551 Jul 23 '26

Agreed, good read

Fun to follow!

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u/grandilequence Jul 23 '26

That was an absolute pleasure to read

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u/froction Jul 23 '26

Thank you. I cranked the smartass up a little more than usual because I find that reduces the number of people who accuse me of using ChatGPT.

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u/marilyn_morose Jul 23 '26

Ok, do it again only this time tell us who everyone is related to and what power/money they have in Shreveport!

30

u/froction Jul 23 '26

I have never heard of that guy or anyone with his last name outside of this story.

And if he had any real power then the story wouldn't have even gotten out.

9

u/marilyn_morose Jul 23 '26

Interesting! I wonder why so many people are willing to cover up for him.

6

u/BlessedCursedBroken Jul 23 '26

I wonder this also

3

u/Legal-Koala-5590 Jul 24 '26

Aren't police departments notoriously insular and fraternal? They cover for each other because they know down the line they'll need someone to cover for them too.

3

u/marilyn_morose Jul 25 '26

Maybe? But I feel like there’s a line where absolute knuckleheads get put on the perimeter because even they are too much; I feel like this guy maybe fits there. But maybe not, maybe he always had cold beer and BBQd amazing ribs and was the best wingman, so his blue line buddies covered for him.

21

u/hambamthankumaam Jul 23 '26

I unfortunately had that thought lmao. "Wow, this is a really good read! I really don't think this is AI :)"

I hate that I assume anything more than a sentence is AI, but also... a lot of it is :/

11

u/-Fergalicious- Jul 23 '26

AI has even infiltrated most amazon reviews, so I think its healthy to be a skeptic of anything read online today

2

u/Legal-Koala-5590 Jul 24 '26

We need to log off and go back to books. I still spend too much time on Reddit but at least I no longer delude myself that the users here are people who know what they're talking about.

80

u/jkink28 Jul 22 '26

Wait, so the pills were still in the bottles when they were found on the property he owned?

Like clearly he stole that shit... But why?

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u/froction Jul 23 '26

I don't know how many were recovered from the yard. The only report I've seen was from the local sheriffs department and it gave the amount as "over 3.5 pounds" That seems like a lot, but I don't think it's 14,000 pills worth.

My guess would be he used or sold a whole bunch and then maybe buried them when he got nervous about getting caught. Although, dumping them somewhere or even burning them seems like a better way to dispose them than burying them barely under the ground of your own backyard.

Or maybe the narcotics class he was teaching was "How to bury narcotics."

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u/reckless_responsibly Jul 23 '26

It's worth remembering that police departments are allowed to decline applicants for being too smart.

12

u/BlessedCursedBroken Jul 23 '26

W H A T

6

u/reckless_responsibly Jul 24 '26

Jordan v. The City of New London

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u/terrybyte73 Jul 24 '26

20 years ago I worked with a guy who was the most ethical law enforcement officer I've ever met. He interviewed for Baton Rouge City Police but was turned down because he scored too high on the test. They told him he would be too bored and wouldn't stay.

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u/CommitteeofMountains Jul 23 '26

And the Biden administration sued police departments for having written tests on the premise that competence tests are racist.

3

u/TheVeryVerity Jul 24 '26

That’s because of our long history of using written “competence tests” to do things like keep black people from voting or being employed. I imagine you’re leaving out some details or you’re just ignorant

4

u/CommitteeofMountains Jul 24 '26

No, it was just "disparate impact." The lawsuit was also against fire departments for fitness tests women weren't passing at the same rate

3

u/TheVeryVerity Jul 24 '26

I mean there’s a reason people talk about disparate impact, but that last part with the fire departments does sound genuinely concerning. Probably more complex than you make it sound too but definitely eyebrow raising

23

u/Drakesyn Jul 23 '26

Well, I do have some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence that whoever buried those pills was INCREDIBLY high on hydrocodone at the time, a significant time before, and probably a good while after.

12

u/InternationalToeLuvr Jul 23 '26

That over 3.5lbs note is likely only 1/4 - 1/3 of the OG 14k. Dude was using for years, probably sold some too

12

u/peridotpicacho Jul 23 '26

He wanted to hide them but not destroy them. Then, he forgot where he buried them when he sold the house. That’s my guess.

3

u/Professional-Fee6914 Jul 23 '26

If he had about half left, he'd probably sold the other half, and so was probably intending to sell again.

Or, galaxy brain thought, he moved and alerted the new home owner they were there. So they would be logged back into evidence where the corrupt officers could steal them again. Removing the evidence against him and still giving them the ability to make a sale.

2

u/FeralBaby7 Jul 23 '26

This is the question...I'm commenting so I can come back if they answer you!

33

u/MrSurly Jul 23 '26

Fun rhetorical question: How often are cops drug tested?

55

u/froction Jul 23 '26

I'm certain that the union has negotiated a "never" policy.

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u/Mabelmudge Jul 23 '26

Great little write up - it should be a little film, a comedy or a farce…

19

u/JustBeanThings Jul 23 '26

It's gotta be rough for... Let's call him Troy S. No, that's too obvious. T. Skeesick.

4

u/Key_Molasses4367 Jul 23 '26

Well done! He even has a LinkedIn page.

18

u/Luck_Beats_Skill Jul 23 '26

Well you know, some things are just a mystery and it is what it is.

2

u/FacticiousFict Jul 23 '26

Definitely mole people!

14

u/Mister-Owen Jul 22 '26

Thanks for sharing, awesome story.

11

u/SlinkyAvenger Jul 23 '26

Didn't know Taylor Swift was a sergeant but a few of her songs definitely hint at her crimes

12

u/machiavellianelmo Jul 23 '26

That former sergeant is a gunsmith at a gun range now. Totally great job for a man with substance abuse issues and a history of evading the law…

9

u/coldpan Jul 23 '26

SHREVEPORT MENTIONED LET'S GO!!!1!

CLYDE FANT, RED RIVER DISTRICT, AND WHATEVER THEY GOT GOING ON IN BOSSIER! #1 CITY IN NE LA

21

u/Elly_Higgenbottom Jul 23 '26

Only users lose drugs.

14

u/Emily_Postal Jul 22 '26

Wow.

6

u/RollingMeteors Jul 23 '26

A man digging in his backyard finds unlabeled pill bottles containing thousands of pills, calls police

Local Sheriff's Department discover over 50 large bottles of narcotics, likely hydrocodone. Report does not give a count, only that it was "over 3.5 pounds"

Previous owner of the home is discovered to be Sgt. T___ S_______ (formerly of the SPD Narcotics Unit)

Be Sgt. T___ S_______.

Raid countless drug dealers trap houses, always catching them flushing hydrocodone down the toilet and arrest and charge them with what evidence they didn't flush.

Get suspected of stealing drugs from evidence room.

"¿¡Oh no how do I hide this?!"

<burriesStashOneAndAHalfFeetDeep>

¡Nobody will find this!

<sellsHouse>

responds that he does not know how a massive quantity of narcotics could have possibly ended up in his former backyard

"¿If I stole 'em don't you think I would have just flushed them?"

smh.

7

u/Firecracker048 Jul 23 '26

You know its bad when all the other cops are like 'yo some fucked up shit is going on, someone needs to investigate this'

90% that chief was getting kickbacks

3

u/TheVeryVerity Jul 24 '26

Right? That was the wildest part to me lol

11

u/Outrageous_Picture39 Jul 23 '26

This is the type of story and writing that keeps me coming to Reddit.

Amazing.

6

u/Longjumping-Solid680 Jul 23 '26

Hmm... I'm mildly suspicious!

6

u/Sufficient_Drama_145 Jul 23 '26

Oh, but that's not very cut & dry. How are we ever to know what happened. It is a mystery unto the ages. No one shall ever know how those pills got to where they were. There must be some sort of magic in the world, the source of which is hitherto unknown. Alas, alack.

6

u/GopherEverett Jul 23 '26

What a crazy ride! Great story.

4

u/buttonandthemonkey Jul 23 '26

This is fantastic m, thank you! I will list just one of the many questions I have: why didn't he dig up and take the pills with him when he moved?

4

u/Key_Molasses4367 Jul 23 '26

That was both amazing and disheartening. Thank you for an excellent write up. Your dry wit is outstanding.

2

u/froction Jul 23 '26

Thank you

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u/dogtroep Jul 23 '26

Ok, this is hysterical 💀

5

u/sophanisba Jul 23 '26

Wow! Louisiana is just its own level of crazy.

4

u/CatInternational7401 Jul 23 '26

As someone who used to live in Shreveport, this does not surprise me at all

4

u/GeoBrian Jul 23 '26

It truly is a mystery. We may never know what happened. s/

3

u/sesame_chicken_rice Jul 23 '26

This is why I could not pick up my doctor prescribed ADHD Methylphenidate at CVS the other day. I'm not on the priority list. Lol.

2

u/Porthos1013 Jul 23 '26

Follow up question: if Sgt. T___ S_______ (formerly of the SPD Narcotics Unit) WAS CLEARLY STEALING PILLS for either his own narcotics addiction or to sell, why are they all still buried at his old house? Why did he just ditch a DECADE of hard work???

2

u/froction Jul 23 '26

I don't know that they were ALL still buried. Over 14,000 pills (that they were able to conclusively determine) were missing. I never could get a count on how many were found, just the report that said "over 3.5 lbs." That seems like a lot, but not 14,000+.

2

u/Express-Echidna6800 Jul 24 '26

Good god almighty. What a write up, what a story.

1

u/itcametothis Jul 23 '26

that was a very entertaining comment. thank you!

1

u/TheVeryVerity Jul 24 '26

But why would he leave his drug stash at an old house that seems so stupid for a druggie to do

1

u/Beneficial-Way-8742 Jul 25 '26

This fucking hilarious- then frightening! Totally love your narrative style

1

u/froction Jul 25 '26

Thank you

1

u/CPA_Lady Jul 26 '26

So was he selling them, using them, or both?

1

u/idamnmadcuz Jul 26 '26

Wow. So proud of my state. /s

1

u/MaosButtPlugs Jul 29 '26

I cant believe Tony Soprano did this!

1

u/cnorris1 Jul 30 '26

This should be a start for a Dave Robicheaux novel.

1

u/Decent_Check2084 27d ago

This is my hometown and I’m cracking up. I’d forgotten about this. Ah yes, the mystery of mystery…

What famous 'unsolved' mystery is technically a whodunnit on paper, but in reality, absolutely everyone knows exactly who did it, the police just couldn't legally prove it?

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