ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Behind a locked doorway inside the Buncombe County courthouse, crime scene investigator Anna Garrett walks through a lab where every item brought in from a death scene or major investigation is carefully preserved, dried, shielded from digital tampering or sealed for court.
“Anything we collect goes back here first,” Garrett said, gesturing toward the sheriff’s office crime scene lab and evidence room. “Before it ever goes to the property and evidence unit, it’s secured and processed.”
Wet or blood-stained items are placed inside a drying chamber to prevent mold. Cell phones are stored in a Faraday box to block outside signals and prevent remote access. Arson-related evidence, often soil soaked with accelerants, is refrigerated to slow biological breakdown…