With every detail that comes out of the ongoing investigation into the botched search warrant that took Breonna Taylor’s life, it becomes even more outrageous and disheartening. Last month, Former Louisville officer Kelly Goodlett was charged for her role in providing false information into the affidavit that made the no-knock warrant possible.
Now, a Time report claims the Louisville officers involved went with a “gut feeling” when falsifying evidence in obtaining a search warrant to search Breonna Taylor’s apartment. This happened even though there was no proof the residence was being used for drug trafficking. A criminal law professor at Cornell University and former federal defender Joe Margulies said that false statements inserted into an affidavit are, unfortunately, “staggeringly common.”
In 2020, Louisville police investigated Taylor’s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover for drug crimes. According to the affidavit, Goodlett and her then-partner, Detective Joshua Jaynes, saw Glover get a package from Taylor’s home on Jan. 16, 2020. They both believed on a hunch that the package contained drugs and money. However, both knew they needed actual evidence to support these claims. They found nothing.
Goodlett says that Jaynes made the decision to bring a false affidavit requesting a “no knock” search warrant to Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw. The request included a fake authentication from the postal inspector that Glover was getting packages delivered to Taylor, the federal affidavit said.
“Det. Jaynes was the primary drafter of the Springfield Drive warrant affidavit, but Det. Goodlett fact-checked the affidavit and added some information to it,” the plea agreement says.
Even with these revelations, it’s highly unusual for police officers to testify against each other. It’s a point that the Courier-Journal wondered if Goodlett would even provide information. Now, a Black woman is dead because officers went with false information to ensure they were right. No charges, no justice years later.