Detective Who Made Mistakes In Sims Case Reassigned

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that major crimes investigator Ralph Losasso will be transferred out of the unit.

A judge ruled on Jan. 23rd that Losasso gave false testimony in the case after destroying his notes and misplacing the recording of Hanif Sims’ July 8 confession.

The judge writes that there were ten inaccurate statements from Losasso, including that Sims said he let Genesis lay dying for two days before implying that he buried her alive. According to the ruling, Losasso stated the interview was not recorded, and there was also an issue with Sims not being read his full Miranda rights.

The mistakes came to light when the tape of the interview re-surfaced last month.

Sheriff Terry Maketa said he also has ordered a review of supervisors over his major crimes unit, as well as an audit of the unit’s 23 major cases. In addition, all 400 sworn employees will receive a refresher on evidence processing.

Sims took a plea deal Monday to avoid a first-degree murder trial in the death of his 7-year-old daughter Genesis. Sims instead pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. In April, he will face a sentence of 27-40 years in prison.

Losasso will go back to patrol this month because of known problems with two other cases involving missing audio recordings.

The transfer is strictly an administrative matter, meaning it won’t affect Losasso’s pay or benefits.

An internal-affairs investigation initiated last month will determine whether Losasso will face official discipline.