WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Falsified reports could draw questions from attorneys

Falsified reports could draw questions from attorneys

Last week, allegations surfaced that a Metro ballistics examiner falsified lab reports in an attempt to cover up his mistakes.

Police temporarily closed the lab where evidence in gun crimes is tested, and the examiner, Officer Michael Pyburn, who had spent 30 years on the force, quickly retired.

Metro police leaders said Pyburn forged paperwork and tried to cover up shoddy work.

Don Aaron, Metro police, said, "Pyburn acknowledged his report was wrong, but then asked the TBI not to say anything.  Pyburn then created new paperwork to cover up his report."

Some defense attorneys are now questioning the credibility of Pyburn's work and the convictions that stemmed from it.

Nashville attorney Jim Todd said, "If it's a circumstantial case and the ballistics evidence is one of the big circumstances that resulted in a conviction that may well come back and a new trial granted."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will now perform ballistic testing for Metro police.

Whether or not a backlog will be created has yet to be seen.

"How many additional cases Metro brings to us remains to be seen," TBI spokesperson Kristin Helm told News 2.  "If there is a high profile case a district attorney's letter is all that is needed to get a piece of evidence rushed through."

Metro police said Pyburn's retirement will not result in overturned convictions.
    
"We know of no criminal cases that have been compromised by faulty ballistics testing," Aaron said.

Metro said they are already working on rebuilding its ballistics lab.  This time, they said, civilians will be doing the work, not officers.

Metro's ballistics lab was also not accredited.  The goal is for the new ballistics lab to be accredited.