(InvestigateTV) — A mother loses her children over a flawed drug test, a four-legged detective sniffs out hidden evidence in the fight against online predators, millions of Americans battle a constant, maddening noise in their ears, and a community races to save a historic lighthouse from a rising sea.
In this episode of InvestigateTV+, we examine:
A nurse and mother loses custody of her children after a common asthma inhaler causes her to repeatedly test positive for methamphetamine, revealing a critical flaw in the state’s child welfare drug screening process.
In the fight against child exploitation, law enforcement is deploying a new secret weapon: K-9s specially trained to sniff out the hidden electronic devices where predators store their illicit material.
Millions of Americans suffer from tinnitus, a constant ringing or hissing in the ears that can lead to severe mental health challenges, and experts are exploring new ways to manage the incurable condition.
A historic Louisiana lighthouse, a beacon for mariners for nearly 200 years, is in a race against time as coastal erosion threatens to send it sinking into the sea, but a dedicated community is fighting to save it.
‘I want my children back’: Mom says her inhaler led to failed drug tests
“I know my son wouldn’t recognize me. If he walked in right now, he would have no idea who I was.
“My daughter would.”
Rachel Fuller’s 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son haven’t lived at her house in years. The last time Fuller saw them was February 2024, around the time her parental rights were terminated after she tested positive for methamphetamine.
An extensive investigation uncovered numerous cases where children were removed from their parents after a failed drug test. The investigation has found that some of the state’s contracted labs to perform those tests have credibility issues.
Fuller’s case goes back to 2020, the first time she gave birth. As is typical after labor and delivery, the hospital drug-screened the mom and her newborn.
Both tested positive for methamphetamine.
“I’ve never done drugs,” Fuller said. “I was shocked because I’ve been a registered nurse for nine years. It was just really shocking to me. I vehemently denied it from the very beginning.”
Read the full story here.
How this K-9 officer sniffs out small data storage devices
Cyber criminals are working around the clock to recruit their next victim, but now there’s a new tool aimed at putting keyboard predators behind bars.
A K-9 officer for Ohio’s Ottawa County Major Crimes Unit, named Oak, can find any device where data is stored.
He’s trained to sniff out adhesive that is used on storage devices where child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, could be hiding.
With a quick command, he can pinpoint the location of a hidden device with incredible accuracy, alerting his handler by sitting and then pointing with his nose.
“He has found things that we would have otherwise missed in numerous searches,” says Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten.
Oak is one of 130 ESD canines working across the country, all of which are trained at a facility in Indianapolis. Their skills are in high demand, assisting agencies in everything from child pornography cases to murder investigations.
Millions of Americans affected by tinnitus while cause still remains unknown
Imagine a sound that never stops. A constant ringing, hissing, or buzzing in your ears that follows you everywhere, making true silence an impossible dream. This is the reality for more than 50 million American adults who suffer from tinnitus.
For 5 million of them, the condition is chronic and debilitating.
“It sounds like when you take air out of a tire, it’s like a hissing type of noise,” says Ken Seibert, who has lived with the condition for 30 years.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external noise is present. Its causes can be difficult to pinpoint, ranging from wax buildup and hearing loss to TMJ, blood pressure issues, or, in rare cases, a tumor. For many, like Ken, there is no obvious explanation.
The impact on mental health can be severe.
A 2023 study found that those with tinnitus have higher rates of depression and suicidal ideation.
“I hate to say it, but sometimes you almost get suicidal with it,” Ken admits. “It just drives you nuts.”
Coastal project gives Lake Pontchartrain landmark a new lease on life
For several years, Tommy Costanza has been coming to the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse, the Lake Pontchartrain landmark in Madisonville.
“This is sickening to see our lighthouse almost get washed away,” Costanza said.
While land around the lighthouse has been eroding for decades, the issue has taken on new urgency in recent years as the lake was virtually lapping at the door to the structure.
“The water at high tide was unabated, and it was sitting at the foot of the lighthouse,” said Alexis Hocevar, President of the Maritime Museum Louisiana Board, which manages the lighthouse for the town of Madisonville.
Over the weekend, a construction crew wrapped up work on the first phase of a $1.6 million rescue plan, installing a rock jetty and borrowing mud from the lake to create a buffer around the lighthouse.
Future phases will involve installing a breakwater to cut down on wave action and a pier to provide access. First operated in 1837, the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse has been restored a few times over the years, but still serves its original purpose as a navigation aid to mariners on Lake Pontchartrain.
While the rock barrier will not stop a surge, Hocevar said it should provide a buffer around the lighthouse.
Read the full story here.