SOUTH BEND — In the ongoing theft case against Michael and Susan Hancock, a warehouse supervisor testified Thursday morning about several missing instruments discovered during an inventory.

Michael Hancock was an employee at Con-Semler, during the time five high-end instruments — totaling more than $ 20,000 – went missing, she said during testimony.

Thursday continues the third day of trial for Michael Hancock and his wife, Susan Hancock, director of St. Joseph County Community Corrections. Each are accused of receiving stolen musical instruments and selling them on eBay.

During testimony, the supervisor said that all employees of the distribution center were called upon to search for the missing instruments, but they were never found. The instruments were later found during a police raid at the Hancocks home.

On cross examination defense attorneys pointed out that the current manager was not Michael Hancock’s supervisor for most of his employment at Con-Semler nor did she have specific knowledge of every instrument possibly discarded.

Michael Hancock said in a police recording Wednesday that the instruments he sold were thrown in the company’s Dumpster and that he had permission from supervisors to retrieve them.

Upon questioning, Detective Mark Daggy with Elkhart City Police Department also confirmed that investigators found no evidence that Susan Hancock knew anything about the instruments’ origins other than what her husband had told her about them being thrown away.

But Daggy said another police officer will testify today about computer information found that does relate to Susan Hancock.

Read more about this story in tomorrow’s South Bend Tribune.

Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:
agallegos@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6368