PERJURY CASE TO GET SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

A special prosecutor will be appointed to try Michael Isenberg, a former
Cole County deputy charged Friday with perjury. Cole County Prosecutor
William M. Tackett said he searched for a way to try the case without
having a conflict, but that proved to be impossible.

"This problem was unearthed by our office and as a result, we are the
investigative body, which is extremely unusual," Tackett said.

Several people in the prosecutor's office are expected to be called as
witnesses, Tackett said.

Cole County Circuit Judge Tom Brown will appoint the special prosecutor,
but Tackett did not know when.

Isenberg, who was a member of Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and
Narcotics Group, also known as MUSTANG, has been indicted on suspicion of
lying under oath during three jury trials. Isenberg resigned May 9 and was
arrested the same day. As a result of the prosecutor's investigation, four
drug convictions have been set aside, with plans to set aside convictions
in 30 more cases.

Three men have been released from prison, the latest being Darrell L.
Turner of Jefferson City, who was released Friday from South Central
Correctional Center in Licking. Turner was serving a 10-year sentence for a
2001 charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
Turner's attorney, Cyril M. Hendricks of Jefferson City, said the
controlled substance was cocaine. Turner had been incarcerated since January.

Hendricks was investigating Isenberg's testimony in his client's case when
the prosecutor's office contacted Hendricks to give the news. Hendricks,
who said he admires the prosecutor for working so quickly, did not have a
chance to speak with Turner before the court dismissed the charges and
released him Friday.

Turner pleaded guilty to the 2001 charge because his prior convictions
would have been used against him if he had testified in a jury trial,
Hendricks said. The case was Turner's word against Isenberg's, Hendricks
said, and taking into account Turner's past record, it was more beneficial
to his client "to make a deal." Before his conviction in January, Turner
had pleaded guilty to a driving while intoxicated, third-degree assault and
possession of a controlled substance.

Area police officials are concerned about how the Isenberg case reflects on
them.

Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm has not seen any direct effects in the
community from the accusations against Isenberg, but he said there is a
chance of losing the public's trust when a situation like this occurs.

"Members of the public might group us together," Boehm said. "We are all in
law enforcement, we all wear uniforms. They think, if it could happen
there, it might happen here."

Boone County Sheriff Ted Boehm, one of the department heads of MUSTANG, agrees.

"When something like this happens, regardless of your agency, it affects
law enforcement, period," Ted Boehm said. "That's why it's important to set
our standards higher than any other profession."

Despite high standards, police dishonesty happens.

"You try your best to only hire the best, but a situation like this rears
its ugly head and you react immediately, which the prosecutor and Cole
County sheriff have done," Ted Boehm said. "And then you keep fingers
crossed it doesn't happen again. It'll take us a while to get back on our
feet again."