You beat me to it. My only forensics experience was a class in HS where we learned the basics about fingerprints, ballistics, blood splatter, what to look for in terms of evidence, how to document things, etc.
We “investigated” a mock arson and actually has State PD investigators assist. Once of the thing they stressed was to treat ANYTHING out of place or strange as possible evidence and to document it, collect it, test it, etc. It may be noting but that one thing you ignore could be the missing piece to solve the crime. He would rated have extra useless pieces of evidence in his case then ignore that one critical cue.
True, but this seems to be the SOP for large urban police departments.
Exactly. I know Hanlon’s razor states “never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity”, but this is a stretch. I can only conclude she had an agenda, and these pills didn’t further that agenda. Thus, they had no forensic significance - toward her goals or those of her superiors.