A Pennsylvania city employee who called police in January to report a noose she found on her desk is now accused of having placed it there herself.
On Jan. 10, LaTarsha Brown called the Allentown Police Department and reported that she found what she believed was a noose on her desk on the third floor of Allentown City Hall when she arrived at work that morning, police said. It's not clear what Brown's job with the city is.
Police shared a picture of the noose with NBC News; it appears to be miniature and made with black thread.
That kicked off an investigation to find a culprit, which included reviewing security video and building access control records to identify anyone who was on the third floor from the night before to the morning of the report.
"Those employees were interviewed, and each was asked if they would provide a buccal swab for DNA testing if needed," police said in a news release published Monday. "Every city employee agreed, except for Ms. Brown. Initially cooperative, Ms. Brown later requested that the investigation be discontinued."
Later that month, the noose was submitted for DNA testing at the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office approved a search warrant for Brown's DNA. Her DNA was collected and submitted to a crime lab "for comparison with DNA profiles recovered from the noose."
"On March 10, 2025, the Forensic DNA Division of the Pennsylvania State Police issued a written report indicating that Ms. Brown’s DNA matched the DNA profile obtained from the swabs of both the outer surface and the inner knotted portion of the noose after taken apart," police said. "No other person’s DNA profiles was found on the evidentiary items involved in this investigation."
Brown was charged with misdemeanor third-degree filing false reports to law enforcement and second-degree tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, police said. It is not clear whether she has an attorney or still works for the city.
City Hall and the district attorney's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Pennsylvania State Police denied a request for comment, deferring to the Allentown Police Department as the lead agency.
