North Louisiana Crime Lab

06/04/2026

Proud to recognize our Laboratory Director, Dr. Amy Patton, as a featured speaker at the 2026 Louisiana State EMS Education Conference & Expo in Shreveport today!

Dr. Patton’s leadership, expertise, and dedication to advancing forensic science continue to strengthen not only the NLCL, but also the broader public safety and healthcare communities we serve. Her work in forensic toxicology, laboratory accreditation, quality assurance, and professional development has made a lasting impact across Louisiana and beyond.

06/01/2026

Congratulations to Two of Our Own!

The NLCL would like to recognize two members for recently achieving significant academic milestones.

John Thomas has completed his Master of Science in Forensic Sciences from Oklahoma State University.

Arielle Miles has completed her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from LSU.

Earning an advanced degree while balancing the demands of a professional career is no small accomplishment. Both John and Arielle have demonstrated tremendous dedication, discipline, and commitment to continued learning. We are proud of their achievements and grateful for the knowledge, expertise, and leadership they bring to our organization every day.

Please join us in congratulating John and Arielle on this well-deserved accomplishment.

LifelongLearning TeamNLCL

05/04/2026

What a day at the NLCL!

Last Friday we kicked things off with a little fun, presenting our first-ever Tenant of the Year Award to our partners at the Shreveport Police Crime Scene Unit. A small way to recognize a big relationship.

From there, we handed out our Domino Awards to Nathan Sullivan, Haylee Davis, Kayla Fuller, and Zoe Barton. These represent the building blocks behind major solutions this past year and into 2026. This new award reflects our focus on being easy to work with, adapting quickly, and being honest about where we can improve.

We also celebrated key service milestones:
• DeAndria Carter-Randle – 5 years
• Dr. Ashley Brummett – 10 years
• Carly Desselle – 10 years
• Katie Traweek – 15 years

Our 2025 peer-selected performance awardees:
• Jerrica Franklin – Robillard-Pettis Anchor Award
• Kari Dicken – Bulldozer Award
• Dr. Amy Patton – Chess Piece Award
• Emily Raley – Battle Axe Award

And finally, our Champion for 2026:
Dr. Jessica Esparza - a true cornerstone of this lab. Consistently going above and beyond, not for recognition, but because of a deep commitment to the mission and the people.

It was a great day. Proud of this team.

05/01/2026

Excitement is building this morning at the NLCL as we head towards our lunch hour today to celebrate the incredible work of our scientists and staff from 2025.

This is a moment to recognize the long hours, the commitment, and the real impact this team continues to make across North Louisiana. We’ll be handing out some well-earned hardware, sharing a great meal, and spending part of our lunch hour learning a little about the pizza business???🍕Don’t worry — it won’t be on the menu today. Instead, we plan on taking some ideas from that industry and seeing how it could work in Forensic Science 🤔

04/28/2026

⚠️ Emerging Drug Threat in North Louisiana ⚠️

The North Louisiana Crime Lab is continuing to monitor the spread of a highly concerning synthetic opioid: Cychlorphine.

Recent laboratory testing has confirmed additional detections across multiple jurisdictions in North Louisiana, reinforcing what we first shared last month. This is not an isolated issue. It is a developing trend.

What matters:
• Cychlorphine belongs to a class of synthetic opioids known as “orphines.”
• Laboratory data suggests it may be more potent than fentanyl.
• It has been identified in counterfeit oxycodone tablets (often marked”M30” or “K56”), meaning users may have no idea what they are taking.

For law enforcement:
Expect presentations consistent with the opioid toxidrome. These cases could look like narcotic analgesic impairment.

For the public:
Illicit pills are not what they appear to be. At the NLCL, most submitted tablets do not contain what they claim.
One pill can be enough to cause a fatal overdose.
We have released an updated Law Enforcement Bulletin today with additional details and guidance.

For Science. For Justice. For the safety of our communities.

04/12/2026

Thank you ANSI National Accreditation Board!

🎉 ANAB congratulates TMC The Metrology Company Canada Inc. and Quality Laboratory of Latín América Agrialim S.A. on achieving ISO/IEC 17025:2017 ; Wintronics, Inc., Navy Primary Standards Laboratory (NPSL), Technology Solutions (Pty) Ltd, and Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center Cyber Forensics Laboratory on renewing their ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation; and North Louisiana Crime Lab on renewing their accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and FBI QAS!

04/10/2026

Take your cases further with forensic training that actually translates to the courtroom.

At the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory, we’re offering:

🧬 DNA & Fi****ms Training
🧪 Drug Chemistry & Toxicology

Built for:
👮 Law Enforcement
⚖️ Attorneys

Focused on:
✔️ Real evidence
✔️ Real cases
✔️ Real testimony

📍 Shreveport, LA
📚 CLE credit available

👉 Learn more + register
https://www.nlcl.org/nlcl-training-announced

03/21/2026

Thank you KTBS 3 News for helping us get the word out! 🤜🤛👩🏻‍🔬📹

SHREVEPORT, La. -- The North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory has confirmed the presence of a novel synthetic opioid in our region.

03/20/2026

CRITICAL ALERT: ORPHINE ANALOGUE DETECTED
North Louisiana Service Area
March 2026

The North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory has confirmed the presence of a novel synthetic opioid in our region.

What was identified
Tablets marked “M/30,” commonly associated with oxycodone, were submitted by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. Laboratory analysis confirmed these tablets contained N-Propionitrile chlorphine, an orphine analogue rather than oxycodone.

Why this matters
Orphines are a newer class of synthetic opioids with potency approaching that of fentanyl. These substances are being encountered in counterfeit pharmaceutical forms, significantly increasing the risk of overdose.

Trend information
Confirmed cases of orphine analogues are emerging across the United States. Current data likely underrepresents actual prevalence, as many laboratories have only recently begun testing for these compounds.

Bottom line
Do not assume tablets marked as oxycodone are legitimate. Counterfeit pills may contain highly potent synthetic opioids capable of causing rapid overdose.

North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory
For Science | For Justice

03/02/2026