Meghann Cuniff's cops and courts reporting

Capistrano killings: Who is Ashton Sachs, teen accused of killing parents?

A double homicide at a mansion in San Juan Capistrano shocked Orange County, but what shocked residents more was the arrest of the victims' teenage son on murder charges. I scoured the Internet, dug through documents and interviewed people close to the family, then profiled the young man in a Sunday article.

Cross-border drug web snagged many

The arrest and suicide of a young man in the Spokane County Jail revealed an extensive drug network that brought ecstasy and marijuana into the United States in exchange for cocaine from Mexico. I used court documents and interviews to tell the man's story.

San Clemente beach slaying still grips lives 20 years later

When rumors spread through San Clemente that a man convicted for the slaying of another teenager 20 years earlier was to be released from prison, I discovered a complicated story of an upcoming parole hearing, driven in part by a new law meant to recognize one the case's most compelling issues: the youthfulness of young offenders.

Family of man killed by Spokane police grapples with his death

The dramatic fatal shooting of a suicidal man while SWAT negotiators were in the middle of talking to him prompted questions from his family about the fairness of what happened and the truthfulness of police, who spent hours trying to save his life.

OxyContin a growing scourge

Just as the opium craze was beginning to sweep the country, the Spokane area was hit with a surge of pharamcy robberies by addicts desperate for OxyContin. I wrote an in-depth article exploring the history of the drug and the rise of cime related to it.

Law enforcement gunfire: How are officers trained?

As Spokane County law enforcement continued experiencing frequent shootings by officers, I examined how deputies and officers are trained to use lethal force and determine if their lives are in danger.

TV host's DNA at issue in Spokane County murder trial

When a rumor spread through the courthouse that a major trial had been delayed because of "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh, I interviewed lawyers and court clerks and used court documents to nail a front-page story within hours.

Former jurors still haunted by Joseph Duncan death penalty trial

A federal court hearing in 2013 sought to retroactively determine the mental competency of a serial killer I've covered since 2006. I attended the proceedings and spent hours interviewing jurors who imposed the death penalty on the serial killer in 2008.

Victim's family questions shooting accounts in possible self-defense case

The fatal shooting by a Spokane resident of a security guard and Palestinian Christian immigrant who was armed with a BB gun sparked a controversial police investigation, racial tensions and outcry from the dead man's family. I told the story from all sides.

A year after hit-and-run death, family can't bear to visit O.C. beach home

The hit-and-run death of a grandmother as she crossed a beachside highway with her grandson received little attention until I explored the case in an in-depth story that included interviews with her family.

Postings reveal Spokane MLK parade bomb suspect's views

When a white supremacist was accused of placing bomb along the planned route of Spokane's Martin Luther King, Jr., Unity March, I spent days tracking down friends and acquaintances and digging through documents and Internet postings to put together a profile that published on Sunday's front page.

Pedestrian's death puts focus on 'dangerous intersection' in San Clemente

After a motorist struck a woman in a popular crosswalk on a busy San Clemente street, I interviewed witnesses, police and the victim's husband while putting together an article that explored the tragedy in-depth.

Cops & Courts

I've reported on everything from grisly double homcides to questionable police shootings while covering several high-profile cases from arrest through trial.