Gun Missing From Police Custody

[Pedro56]

Gun missing from police custody

Thursday, July 6, 2006


By William Lee and Lauren FitzPatrick
Staff writers


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A handgun used by an accused killer is missing from Harvey police custody, prompting an investigation by Cook County prosecutors, officials said.
This latest inquiry into Harvey's police practices began last week when a .45-caliber handgun allegedly taken from Anthony T. Reynolds in October was discovered missing without explanation.

Reynolds, 28, a felon, was arrested Oct. 18 near his home in the 14900 block of Hoyne Avenue in Harvey after police found him carrying a Remington .45-caliber gun, court records show.

Reynolds has pleaded innocent to felony charges including being an armed habitual criminal, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and felony possession of a weapon, and his case is pending in Cook County Circuit Court in Markham.

At a pre-trial hearing last week, prosecutors were told that Harvey police could not locate the weapon, according to an official with knowledge of the case.

The missing handgun caused several gun charges against Reynolds to be dropped in March in connection with the Oct. 18 incident, according to court records. And the remaining charges from that incident also could be dropped if the gun is not found.

State's attorney's investigators have interviewed an unnamed Harvey detective who had the responsibility of entering the handgun into evidence. The detective told investigators that the gun disappeared from his desk after he left for a meeting with Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg, a relative of Reynolds and others about the Oct. 15 case, sources said.

Reynolds is being held on $2 million bail in Cook County Jail, charged with the April 28 slaying of Martell Edwards at a South Holland car wash. Edwards, 23, of Hammond, Ind., was killed with a .45-caliber bullet, prosecutors said, adding that it's unclear whether that gun is the same as the one that's missing.

Prosecutors also are pursuing a lead related to an alleged conversation between Reynolds' father and a Harvey police officer last week at the Markham courthouse, the source said. The father said he had the missing weapon, which he bought back from a Harvey official, said the source, who declined to name the Harvey officer.

Prosecutors are taking the reported conversation seriously, the source said. Repeated calls to Harvey police were not returned Wednesday night.

This would be prosecutors' second inquiry into Harvey within a year. The first came after Harvey police Cmdr. Merritt Gentry admitted lying to prosecutors about alleged illegal conduct by a fellow detective and about showing his tattoos, which resemble gang tattoos, while questioning a murder suspect.

The missing gun has reportedly also sparked an investigation by the Illinois State Police's public integrity task force, which is also looking into the Gentry case. Gentry remains on paid leave, pending the task force's findings.

A state police spokesman would not comment on the new investigation.

Contributing: Chicago Sun-Times

[Pedro56]

Knowing the Harvey Police Department, one of the thugs that wears a badge there probably has it in his holster, or he sold it to one of his Gangster Disciple buddies. One, and only one, good thing about harvey IL is this




It was home to the fine Dixie Square Mall.

[Hannibal]

Sorry, I didn't know you needed that gun. I'll put it back.