DRUG-CRIME EVIDENCE ACCOUNTS FOR MOST CASES AT MSSC LAB

'Like Working Puzzles'

Sifting through samples of methamphetamine to help convict a drug dealer is
a far cry from Ruth Anna Hunter's evening duties as a diaper-changing mom.

But the forensic analyst, who shares experiences in the world of solving
crime with her husband, a deputy sheriff, said her day job is just a way of
paying the bills.

"It's not that exciting because I don't go outside the lab and chase people
down and arrest them," said Hunter, who was taking a break from analyzing
tiny white packets filled with powdered meth.

For the past 31 years, law enforcement departments throughout the area have
been using the Missouri Southern State College Regional Crime Lab to help
analyze evidence from criminal cases ranging from burglaries to homicides.

"We bring evidence to the lab almost daily," said Jasper County sheriff's
Capt. Tony Coleman.

"They are a great help to us in analyzing evidence because many times we
don't have the equipment to do it. If the lab wasn't there, it would be a
burden for us to send evidence to the state or federal levels."

Although the lab is on the college campus, it has little connection with
the school. The lab, which was set up largely with federal money under the
School of Technology in 1971, was constructed in the Mills Anderson Justice
Center because of its relation to the criminal justice department.

Today, the lab operates on a $300,000 annual budget funded by federal and
state grants as well as fees generated from about 50 law enforcement
agencies that use its services. The lab receives no money from the
college's operating budget.

Making a difference

Area crime fluctuates, said Philip Whittle, director of the lab. Fewer
homicides have occurred recently than in years past, and there is a higher
number of meth-making operations than ever before.

The four full-time employees analyzed evidence in 2,751 cases last year.

"In terms of volume, drugs make up about 70 percent of our work, and more
than half of that is meth," Whittle said.

"The most dangerous thing is that people dealing with (meth) don't know the
dangers involved. They're not chemists. They're just following some recipe,
and it can really be deadly.

"With drugs, sometimes we're just spinning our wheels because it will
always be a problem. But with other cases, I feel we can really make a
difference."

Such was the case in the recent conviction of Glenn Faulkner, 30, of
Granby. Faulkner was convicted Feb. 23 of the Oct. 31, 2000, gunpoint
abduction, rape and sodomy of a 14-year-old Joplin girl.

Whittle and his staff used DNA evidence to identify Faulkner and tie him to
the rape.

Whittle said there have been other cases that have reminded him of the good
his work has done for others. In a court case several years ago, a
19-year-old was convicted of sexual assault after his DNA was identified in
blood recovered from the hair of his 82-year-old victim.

"That is one of the things that stands out in my memory and gives me goose
bumps," Whittle said. "I can still remember her grasping my hand, saying
that at least she could feel that justice had been done. She could feel
some finality for what had happened to her. I can't say it's satisfying,
but at least we've done something to help clarify the situation."

"It's like working puzzles"

The crime lab was expanded through a $5 million addition four years ago,
and although employees said the work areas are still cramped, that's due in
part to the amounts of evidence stored there.

The lab was built for security, with solid walls that connect to the roof,
making it almost impossible for burglars to break in.

"If I worried about anything that could happen, I would be in an asylum,
not a crime lab," said Whittle, looking toward the ceiling.

As he unlocked the door to another room filled with "dry" evidence stored
in a variety of bags and containers, he explained the "chain of custody"
procedure: Evidence not gathered on the scene by the analysts themselves is
brought to them by law enforcement officials and stored at the lab.

"There's a lot of hard-core criminals around all the time, some in and out
of prison," said Mike Davis, a criminalist who has worked at the lab since
1993. He specializes in latent print work, including fingerprints, tire and
shoe prints, serial number recoveries and drug chemistry.

"I think there are probably more criminals that are opportunists, people
who see something and jump on it once," he said. "A lot of times, stealing
is a matter of animal survival because these people can't get or keep a
job. They prey on others because they don't have the ability to take care
of themselves."

A fingerprint database system has helped Davis collect more than 300
fingerprints of area criminals.

"There's always the challenge of trying to solve crimes and make people
accountable," he said.

"It's like working puzzles and supplying answers. When the police have few
leads, we can eliminate some people and help them narrow in on a real lead."

Whittle said the misconceptions of those who watch crime shows are
laughable. In reality, it takes lab employees about 40 days rather than one
hour to solve a crime.

"My wife likes those shows, but she doesn't let me watch them because I'm
like, 'Can you believe that? They couldn't do that in that time,'" Whittle said.