If crime shows have you thinking evidence rooms are like open buffets—cops waltzing in to grab a bloody glove or shady baggie before heading to court with a dramatic flourish—think again. That’s not how things work in Osage Beach.
“They always show officers walking into evidence rooms by themselves and getting evidence out. Then, in some shows, thefts are happening,” said Jennifer Winchester, Osage Beach Police Department Evidence Custodian. “We don’t allow that here. I’m the only one allowed in the evidence room.”
Winchester is the gatekeeper of everything from DNA swabs to stolen bikes, methamphetamines to money, and once, even human ashes. “That was definitely the weirdest,” she said.
What the popular television series CSI never shows is the sheer amount of precision, documentation, and frankly—math—that comes with handling evidence. There’s a chain of custody that must be carefully maintained, and Jennifer knows every single link. “The officer collects it, packages it and documents that they’re giving it to me,” she explained. The evidence is placed in a secured locker, then painstakingly documented by Winchester, even if it goes out to the state crime lab. “Every time it moves, I track the date, the time and who handled it.”
Winchester’s most impressive achievement can’t be measured just in procedures—although she’s got those covered. Since taking over as the police department’s evidence custodian, she’s meticulously organized, categorized and accounted for over 25,000 individual pieces of evidence. “I’ve organized all of those pieces so they’re categorically organized in our property room,” she said. She’s also submitted and processed around 5,000 items for legal disposal, with thousands more in progress—all while keeping up with new incoming cases.
It's a massive undertaking. And though she won’t say it herself, it’s an extraordinary feat of dedication, attention to detail and efficiency—one that has helped modernize how evidence is tracked in Osage Beach. But don’t think Winchester’s job is all spreadsheets and chain-of-custody forms. She’s the first to tell you she finds it all fascinating. “I always wanted to be a police officer growing up,” she said. “I retired from a different career in food science and moved here from Colorado. When I saw this position open, I knew it was perfect. I get to support law enforcement, be part of this world I admire and do something I care about.”
Her passion shows in her certifications, too. Winchester completed the International Association for Property and Evidence training in Kansas City and is also certified through Missouri’s local chapter. She handles everything from sex assault kit documentation for the state to refrigerating urine samples and running weekly deliveries to the crime lab.
She’s even responsible for operating the department’s incinerator—which, as you might imagine, sounds like something out of a Bond movie. “It gets over 2,000 degrees,” Winchester said. “It sounds like a jet engine when it kicks on. But it can burn down a big box of narcotics to ash in seconds. It's wild.”
Despite the serious nature of her work, Winchester brings a grounded and thoughtful presence to everything she does. When asked what her crime show catchphrase would be, she answered without hesitation: “Keeper of All Things.” To unwind, she turns to music and her dogs, Huck and Reggie. Still, many of her interests remain rooted in the world of criminal justice. “I watch serial killer documentaries, paranormal shows and listen to forensic podcasts,” she said. “I’m obsessed.”
Even the occasional strange moments she experiences alone in her quiet office on City Hall’s first floor don’t rattle her. Like the time a cell phone started ringing in the evidence room—long after it was supposed to be off. “It came from a death investigation,” she said. “It startled me, for sure. But then the phone died, and I just left it alone.”
Winchester isn’t only the keeper of physical evidence—she’s also a keeper of trust. Every officer, attorney and case that passes through Osage Beach depends on her care, accuracy and integrity.
It might not be TV-level glamorous—but it's real, important and uniquely her.
