LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Editor's note: Some of the content in this story might be upsetting for some readers. Reader's discretion is advised.
Meeting virtually on Wednesday, Inspector General Ed Harness presented his office's investigation into Louisville Metro Police's handling of their investigation into the brutal attack on Mary Spalding.
Spalding's case was Det. Deidre Mengedoht's last case before she was tragically killed during a traffic stop in 2018.
"This case was instrumental in our determination to begin the pattern and practice review of the detective bureau for LMPD," Harness said.
The inspector general had recommended they dig deeper into Spalding's case after she filed a complaint in June 2022.
Three and a half years earlier on Dec. 17, 2018, Spalding had been almost beaten to death in her basement with no signs of forced entry and nothing stolen.
When an MSD truck hit Mengedoht's cruiser and killed her seven days later, on Christmas Eve, LMPD eventually transferred Spalding's case to another detective. Then when that detective left two years later, it was transferred to another detective.
Spalding complained that after Mengedoht's death, her case was never really handled properly.
“It feels like I’m battling three different traumas,” Spalding said in a previous interview with FOCUS. “The trauma of getting attacked, the trauma of the lead detective getting killed, and then the trauma of no one investigating the case.”
She also said she believes her case is a domestic violence case because she and her ex-fiancée had recently broken up.
But it was never classified as such, and he was never interviewed.
Spalding also complained evidence was missing from her case file, and that tests done on blood found near her back door, including a bloody shoe print, were not done properly.
The Inspector General's Office agreed, recommending to the Civilian Review and Accountability Board that LMPD detective work needs improvement.
"LMPD's current case management style increases the seriousness and brought a widespread level of misconduct as displayed within this report," Harness said.
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