Douglas County crime scene investigator David Kofoed pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in Omaha to four charges, including falsifying records in a Cass County murder case.

A federal grand jury handed down four indictments last month related to Kofoed's role into the investigation of the murder of a Murdock, Nebraska couple. Wayne and Sharmon Stock were found dead in their home on April 17, 2006.

Nicholas Sampson and Matt Livers were later arrested and charged in the homicide, but when faulty blood and DNA evidence was discovered, both Sampson and Livers were released. Kofoed's investigation unit eventually helped find the real killers.

Counts one and two accuse Kofoed of depriving Sampson and Livers of their civil rights. The maximum penalty for each count is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Count three is mail fraud due to an improper DNA sample being sent in the mail. Count four is four altered records with intent to impede or influence an investigation. Counts three and four carry maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Kofoed pleaded not guilty to all four counts. His attorney has always said that Kofoed admits mistakes, but they were not intentional.

"Is there anything criminal about it?” asks Steve Lefler. “Of course not, I just want the public to realize that we're all human beings and most of us try to do the best job we can all the time."

Kofoed was released on his own recognizance after surrendering his passport. A trial date has not been set. He is currently on paid administrative leave from his job.

Kofoed has been involved in a number of high-profile cases in the past. A motion has been made in one of those cases by Ivan Henk, serving a life sentence for killing his 4-year-old son Brendan Gonzalez in 2003.

Criminalists tell Channel 6 News keeping precise records is important in any scene being investigated.

"We're going to photograph the evidence, we're going to be taking notes the whole time, documenting where it was found,” says Omaha Police Crime Lab Criminalist Karenina Smith.

“It's going to be recorded eventually in our reports, who actually found the evidence, who took the pictures, who collected the evidence, that could be the same person for all three processes, it could be two different people, it could be three different people depending on what the scene is and how we're working the scene."