Prosecution, Kofoed prepare for trial

Prosecutors in Cass County are trying to convince a judge that the Douglas County CSI Chief planted evidence in two high profile murder cases.

David Kofoed goes on trial later this month.  He's accused of planting evidence in the 2006 murders of a Murdock couple.

Thursday in court, prosecutor Clarence Mock said he can prove Kofoed tampered with evidence in another murder case.  The prosecution wants to bring in allegations that Kofoed planted blood in the 2003 Ivan Henk case.

Henk is serving a life sentence for murdering his four–year–old son, Brenden Gonzalez.

Mock said he believes Kofoed planted Gonzalez's blood in a dumpster.  He says it's the same kind of intentional evidence planting that Kofoed is accused of doing in the double murder case.  “How could that DNA been there if it was not intentionally placed there by this defendant?”

Kofoed's lawyer, Steve Lefler, says they're just trying to persecute him.  “He didn't plant any evidence.  It's just part of a modern day witch hunt to get Dave Kofoed.”

Lefler wants to include a polygraph test that Kofoed passed during a sheriff's department internal investigation of the Murdock murders.

Kofoed has repeatedly denied committing any crimes and says cross contamination of evidence probably happened.