Sheriff's locked drawer reveals evidence linked to missing drug-seizure cash
Image: The Dillon Herald A routine office clearance led to an unexpected discovery Investigators found thousands of dollars missing Deputies described an unusual system for
Image: The Dillon Herald A routine office clearance led to an unexpected discovery Investigators found thousands of dollars missing Deputies described an unusual system for handling seized cash Concerns had reportedly surfaced long before the discovery The broader debate over police evidence and forfeiture procedures The death of a South Carolina sheriff unexpectedly triggered a far-reaching investigation after colleagues clearing out his office reportedly discovered sealed evidence bags containing cash inside a locked desk drawer. Some of the bags were empty, while others had been cut open or contained only part of the money they were supposed to hold. The discovery prompted state investigators to examine years of drug-related cash seizures, ultimately uncovering nearly $49,000 in missing funds and raising serious questions about how evidence was handled under the late sheriff's administration.According to The Dillon Herald, Sheriff Douglas "Humbunny" Pernell, the first Black sheriff elected in Dillon County, South Carolina, died unexpectedly from a sudden cardiac event on 7 August 2023 at the age of 61. Two weeks later, family members, deputies and colleagues gathered to remove his personal belongings from his office.As reported by Queen City News, while packing his office, they encountered a locked drawer built into a credenza beside his desk.
Unable to locate a key, deputies forced it open with a pry bar. Inside were multiple sealed evidence bags, documents relating to narcotics investigations and bundles of cash that should not have been stored in a sheriff's personal office.Some evidence bags had been torn open, while others were empty. Recognising the potential significance of the discovery, deputies secured the contents and contacted theSouth Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the state's primary investigative agency.SLED investigators documented every evidence bag recovered from the drawer and compared the contents with official seizure records from Dillon County drug investigations.According to the investigation, the evidence bags were related to 24 separate drug-seizure cases. Although officers recovered a small amount of cash from several bags, investigators concluded that $48,691.57 that should have been present was missing. Eighteen evidence bags were empty, while six contained only partial amounts of the money originally seized.South Carolina's asset forfeiture laws require law enforcement agencies to transfer seized cash to the county treasurer until a court determines whether the money should be forfeited to the government or returned to its owner. However, investigators found that much of the money never reached the treasurer's office as required by law.
The BriefWire