Detective at Heart of Embarrassing Montco Prosecution Fired By DA
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The fallout continues from a settlement reached between the Montgomery County district attorney's office and a Radnor contractor who was falsely accused of stealing from a Jenkintown church five years ago.
County officials confirm that county detective Mary Anders was terminated from her job on the same day that lawyers for Walter Logan announced a settlement with the DA's office over those false charges.
Anders was assigned to investigate the case in 2009 and, according to court documents, relied on information given to her by the Salem Baptist Church to compile a criminal complaint that was used as the basis to charge Logan.
Logan's attorney says information demonstrating his innocence was provided by his attorneys at the time but, he says, Anders never interviewed his client.
Prosecutors dropped the charges against Logan a year later. The settlement included an apology from the DA and $1.6 million (see related story).
Anders spent 25 years in the office, first as an investigator and then promoted to detective.
DA Risa Ferman would not comment on the firing, calling it a "personnel matter."