Homicide Detective May Have Mishandled 4 Cases: Sources

Police have been investigating detecive for possibly helping his girlfriend after she allegedely stabbed her ex-husband to death

Philadelphia Police's Internal Affairs Division has widedned its investigation into a Homicide detective who may have helped his girlfriend in the hours after she allegedly stabbed her ex-husband to death.

Investigators are now looking at whether Homicide Detective Ron Dove mishandled information in three other cases he was working -- including the murder of 22-year-old Melanie Colon.

Colon's decomposing body was found in a wooded area behind the Maple Lane Apartment complex along the 700 block of Maple Lane on May 12, 2012. She had been shot muliple times and was found a week after being reported missing.

Police believe the woman's boyfriend, Reynaldo Torres, was also with her and killed. His body has never been found.

Sources tell NBC10's Harry Hairston that information found on Dove's iPad, which was confiscated in a raid on his home, led authorities to take a second look at Colon's case.

“I’m hurt. It makes me think about the police department in Philadelphia," said Louis Colon, Melanie Colon's father.

Information found on Dove's iPad prompted detectives to search an area along the 400 block of Westmoreland Street this week, according to police sources. During that search, a police K9 officer picked up the possible scent of human remains.

NBC10 first learned Internal Affairs were looking into Dove's dealings earlier this month, following the murder of Cesar Vera.

Police say Vera was stabbed in the chest by his ex-wife Erica Sanchez inside his home along the 3300 block of N. 5th Street on Sept. 8.

Sanchez, 33, was dating Dove at the time of the alleged murder, according to sources.

Sources say the detective allegedly moved Sanchez's vehicle from the crime scene, allowed her to use his car, hired her an attorney and told other detectives to 'go easy on her.'

Dove was pulled off the street and reassinged when the allegations came to light.

Nearly two weeks ago, police raided Dove's home -- taking his computer, iPad and SUV into evidence -- and then issued an arrest warrant for Sanchez. She eventually turned herself in to police last Wednesday and charged with murder.

Detecives are also taking another look at two other cases, dating back to 2010, where Dove may have withheld or mishandled information, according to police. That brings the number of cases police are examining to four.

"We are working hand and glove on this to find out if anything was mishandled or if there was any effort to withhold information," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said on Thursday.

As for Louis Colon, he simply hopes the new findings will lead to finding the person who murdered his daughter and offer the family closure.

“I’m not feeling real happy about what I'm hearing now," he said. "I'm hoping that maybe something can come out of this so I can find out what happened to my daughter."

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