Camden County Prosecuting Attorney Richelle Grosvenor addressed the Camden County Commission on Tuesday, March 17, to request increased security for her office following an incident involving a sheriff’s detective.
Grosvenor described to the commission a pattern of issues involving Detective Cody McGuire.
The concerns include allegations of lost evidence, improperly handled digital evidence, and, in one instance, the creation of evidence the detective later recanted.
The prosecutor said the problems first surfaced in February 2023 during an effort to address a longstanding case backlog. As part of that effort, the office began more closely reviewing investigative materials before filing charges, revealing discrepancies between written reports and video evidence.
In one instance, the detective said photographs had been taken as evidence but could not later be located in the case file. In another, questions were raised about whether proper procedures were followed in extracting digital evidence related to child sexual abuse material.
“We have to figure out the credibility issues of this detective,” Grosvenor said. “We have to make sure the Prosecutor’s Office has the ability to prosecute these effectively. But if we’re not getting what we need from the Sheriff’s Office and this particular individual, then we have to figure out how to move forward.”
The situation escalated when McGuire recorded a private meeting inside the prosecutor’s office. According to Grosvenor, the meeting was intended to address concerns about McGuire’s work and included discussion of trial strategy. The recording was not disclosed at the time and was revealed days later.
Because McGuire is a witness in the ongoing criminal case discussed in the recording, the recording is now considered evidence and had to be turned over to defense attorneys, raising concerns about the integrity of ongoing prosecutions.
As a result, Grosvenor requested changes to office security, citing a loss of trust. The sheriff’s department currently has access to the prosecutor’s office.
“I’m asking you to re-key the prosecutor’s office so that not anybody from their department can come into my office with a key,” Grosvenor said.
The office is seeking to restrict access to its workspace, review who has key or keycard entry, and gain independent access to entry logs. Commissioners discussed options including re-keying doors, reviewing access control systems and potentially adding cameras.
Commissioners said they would review the current security setup and return with recommendations, emphasizing the need to balance access, safety and cost.
