Couldn't you just see it coming?

Law enforcement officers are highly trained professionals who routinely undergo continuing training and education in new areas in order to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

The command staffs are all very intelligent men and women who know what the job of a law enforcement officer entails. The days of the loose cannon sheriff is over. Police organizations are risk-adverse and have the institutional knowledge to be highly skeptical of wild claims.

Well, sort of.

I guess we can strike the Liberty (Texas) County Sheriff's Office from the list of highly accredited, professional law enforcement organizations across the state. Back in 2011 a self-described psychic, Presley "Rhonda" Gridley, called the Liberty County Sheriff's Office and reported that she "saw" a mass grave on a couple's property in rural Liberty County.

Except that, despite the media uproar, there wasn't a mass grave.

Oops. The Sheriff's Office told every media outlet that would listen about the extraordinary find. They gave out the name of he owners and their address. The Texas Rangers, the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies jumped on board. Print and broadcast media gave the story extended run

Except, there wasn't a mass grave.

Ms. Gridley has had a $6.8 million judgment lodged against her - a judgment that isn't worth the piece of paper it's printed on.

The owners of the property can't undo the damage that was done to them - not by Ms. Gridely, but by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. I expect nothing less from those who prey on the ignorant, the poor and those with a void in their lives. Psychics such as Ms. Gridely can see the future - they can see some poor schmuck handing over cash for a made up story.

But there is no excuse for a law enforcement agency to fall for this sham. Who needs good old fashioned detective work when you can just call up the local huckster to solve a crime you didn't even know occurred?