By: Shayla Terry

A January 15 burglary came to a close the end of last mont, with a confession, thanks to forensics and joint investigation.

On the afternoon of Sunday, January 15, the owner of Larry’s Barber and Style on Forest Avenue in Luverne visited his shop to find it had been broken into.

When Luverne investigator Mason Adcock arrived, he noticed that there were some fabrics of clothing on the cracked window glass, as well as drops of blood throughout the scene. He called for assistance for the Crenshaw County sheriff’s office investigator; John Powell and the two men worked the scene.

“Adcock and Powell were able to take some of the blood, and submit it to state forensics,” Luverne Police chief Mike Johnson said. “They ran it through a DNA database, and got a match.”

After waiting for more than five months, a warrant was issued for Omar Redmon on June 18 for third degree burglary and fourth degree theft of property

“He was picked up, and he confessed to everything,” Johnson said. “All of this was possible because of the investigators collecting the evidence properly and submitted it properly. Otherwise we would’ve never known who it was. We had no witnesses, all we had was the blood.”

Johnson says that being able to utilize modern technology is important for the future of law enforcement in Luverne.

“We’re trying to bring ourselves up to speed with the times, and we’re doing it well,” he said. “We’re not going to always be successful, but it’s worth a try every time. He want to exhaust all the means that we can for our citizens.”

Johnson credits investigators Adcock and Powell for being able to produce a conviction for the case.

“Due to the diligence of the investigators, Mason and John, we had results,” he said. “They were able to get on it quick, and get things sealed and done and sent to the lab.”

With the rest of the nation utilizing forensics testing for convections, Johnson says he is proud to offer a new service that has results for the community.

“We paid to protect and provide a service to the people who live here,” Johnson said. “This is just another tool in the services that we can provide.”