For eight months, a Jacksonville woman says she has been stuck without her car after reporting it stolen and then finding out it had been seized and booked into evidence in a homicide investigation. She says the loss of her vehicle has meant scrambling for rides, juggling insurance questions and waiting while detectives work the case.
According to Action News Jax, the woman first filed a stolen-vehicle report. She later learned from investigators that her car had been recovered and pulled into a homicide probe as evidence. The station reports that the vehicle still has not been returned and that months have gone by with the case remaining open.
Why Cars Stay in Evidence
Police can hold vehicles as evidence when they might contain crucial physical clues, including shell casings, blood, electronics or other trace material. Agencies typically will not release that property until it is no longer needed for prosecution or forensic testing.
The Florida Constitution guarantees victims “the right to the prompt return of the victim’s property when no longer needed as evidence,” according to Online Sunshine. How long something sits in custody depends on investigative schedules and lab timelines, which are not always quick…