Dugan Arnett

Federal and state court documents, as well as interviews, lay out the unlikely origins of a grisly case that led investigators from small-town Pennsylvania to an Arkansas morgue to Harvard Medical School.

The story about an alleged drug trafficker, a detective, and a woman caught in the middle, seemed outlandish. Now, though, New Bedford police are acknowledging the claims have merit.

The Harvard morgue scandal revealed a community of oddities collectors.

Rakesh “Rick” Kamal’s veneer of wealth was an astonishing ruse, orchestrated so stealthily, family members said, that its mastermind managed to conceal it from colleagues, realtors, and even his own wife and daughter.

Kevin Berner told Braintree police that a nude photo of his 12-year-old son was circulating among other schoolchildren. Berner and his wife have been on a journey since, fighting for accountability.

The collapse of the case follows a 2023 Globe story that exposed an illicit, years-long relationship between detective Jared Lucas and the confidential informant at the heart of the investigation.

The Spotlight Team found a lack of scrutiny around confidential informants. And police misconduct has been allowed to fester.

Spotlight reporters Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan discuss their investigation and their new podcast series “Snitch City.”

Paul Oliveira’s departure comes on the heels of the Spotlight Team’s Snitch City series that uncovered rampant misconduct within the New Bedford Police Department.

Tuesday’s appointment of Jason Thody marked the first time since 1997 that an outsider was chosen to lead the department.