Allentown Employee Accused of Staging Noose Incident at City Hall
An employee in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who alerted authorities in January about a noose discovered on her desk is now facing accusations of staging the incident.
LaTarsha Brown contacted the Allentown Police Department on January 10, reporting that she had found what she believed to be a noose placed on her desk. The incident allegedly occurred on the third floor of Allentown City Hall upon her arrival at work that morning, according to police reports. Brown’s specific role within the Allentown city government remains unclear.
Investigation Commenced Following Discovery of Noose
Law enforcement initiated an inquiry to identify a possible suspect. This investigation involved scrutinizing video surveillance footage and building access logs to determine individuals present on the third floor between the evening before the report and the following morning.
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Authorities released an image of the noose to media outlets, depicting it as miniature and constructed from black thread.
DNA Evidence Leads to Accusation Against Employee
“All city personnel were interviewed and asked to voluntarily provide buccal swabs for DNA analysis if deemed necessary,” police stated in a public statement released on Monday. “Initially, all employees cooperated, with the exception of Ms. Brown. Despite initial cooperation, Ms. Brown subsequently requested the termination of the investigation.”
Later in January, the noose was submitted to the Pennsylvania State Police forensic laboratory for DNA testing. The Lehigh County District Attorney’s office authorized a search warrant to obtain Brown’s DNA. Her DNA sample was then collected and sent to the crime lab for comparative analysis against DNA samples retrieved from the noose.
Forensic Report Links Brown to Noose
“On March 10, 2025, the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic DNA Division issued an official report indicating a DNA match between Ms. Brown’s profile and DNA extracted from swabs taken from both the exterior surface and the interior knotted section of the disassembled noose,” police disclosed. “The DNA analysis found no other individual’s DNA profiles on the evidence examined in this case.”
Employee Charged with Filing False Report, Tampering with Evidence
Brown has been formally charged with misdemeanor offenses, including filing false reports to law enforcement, a third-degree misdemeanor, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a second-degree misdemeanor, according to police. It is currently unknown whether Brown has legal representation or if she is still employed by the city.
Requests for comments from Allentown City Hall and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office were not immediately addressed. The Pennsylvania State Police declined to comment, directing inquiries to the Allentown Police Department as the primary investigating agency.