GRAND JURY SUGGESTED CHANGES IN STATE POLICE LAB TWO YEARS AGO

CHARLESTON (AP) - A special grand jury recommended the State Police
crime lab become independent - two years before the actions of a
chemist there derailed every drug prosecution in West Virginia, the
Sunday Gazette-Mail reported. The March 1998 grand jury report
remained sealed until Friday, when a judge ordered its release.

"We believe by definition a crime laboratory should be impartial and
unbiased toward any party," the report said. "We question the wisdom
of operating a West Virginia crime laboratory within the chain of
command of a law enforcement agency."

Last September a civilian chemist was caught skipping required tests
on drug evidence.

Todd Owen McDaniel was fired and pleaded guilty to federal fraud
charges. To check the extent of his actions, investigators closed the
lab's drug identification section where McDaniel had worked. The
shutdown halted state and federal drug cases throughout West
Virginia. All evidence handled by McDaniel was retested. The state
ended up calling in federal drug agents for help.

The grand jury issued the report after investigating another lab
chemist, Fred Zain.