Upper Dublin Detective Died From Apparent Suicide: DA

A late Upper Dublin Police Department detective stole cash and drugs from the evidence room which he oversaw the department before his apparent suicide, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said on Thursday.

Missing evidence and other irregularities were discovered following the death of Det. Michael W. Gommer, 41, who died while off-duty in his home on Dec. 30, the DA said.

An independent review of the department was overseen by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau after more than $7,000 in cash, pills, cocaine, and heroin were discovered missing from the evidence room, authorities said. The room was under the care of Gommer.

"The investigation by the Montgomery County Detectives found that Gommer had a significant and undetected drug issue, which led to his stealing from the evidence room," District Attorney Kevin Steele said. "(He) was able to hide his addiction from many people around him."

It's easy to see why no one would've seen it coming. According to his obituary, Gommer, of Media, coached his children's baseball, soccer, and basketball teams, and was an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. In 2013, he ran the Philadelphia Marathon in 4:35:58.

He also previously worked for the Upper Darby and Brookhaven police departments, the Parkside Fire Department, and as an instructor in various law enforcement courses.

"His death and the subsequent ramifications for this police department starkly illustrate that no one anywhere is immune to the drug problem we are facing as a society and in Montgomery County and no group in any community is untouched by the scourge of drugs," Steele added.

Authorities said that they are implementing new procedures to prevent something similar from happening in the future. They're planning on installing four surveillance cameras in the evidence room, ensuring that at least two people are with evidence at all times, and replacing paper management with a bar code system.

The stolen evidence was recovered from a combined 75 adult criminal cases and 12 juvenile cases, the DA said. Eleven of those cases remain open, and the DA's office said they are in the process of contacting attorneys involved in those cases.

Patch file photo