Based on a bite mark evidence, Robert Lee Stinson was convicted for a crime which he did not commit and served a 23 year sentence. However, when a DNA test was brought into the evidence, it set him free. Both doctors on Stinson’s case, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Rawson have testified that “to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty” the bite marks on the victim had to come from Stinson because they were done close to the time of the death and “was the only person who could have inflicted the wounds.”(Innocence project, 5) “No margin for error” was the concluding sentence of Dr. Johnson, while proving that Stinson is guilty. In Dr. Rawson’s, the chairman of the Bite Mark Standards Committee of the ABFO, testimony that the evidence used in the
On 14th September 1984, he was convicted of provoked burglary, three murders and rape at Sheffield crown court. The applicant was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment by the trial judge and recommended a minimum tariff of 18 years to the secretary of state for
The Associated Press, DNA Tests for Jeffrey MacDonald/ Former Physician Seeks Evidence in 1970 ‘Fatal Vision’ Slayings. Newsday. March 24, 1999. Retrieved from eLibrary on the World Wide Web: http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/
sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The case against him was largely
2 (A). After spending three decades behind bars, DNA evidence proved Cornelius Dupree’s innocence. Dupree was arrested and eventually wrongfully convicted for the robbery of a woman and a man. He was indicted on both the robbery and rape of the woman, but since prosecuting him for the rape would not extend his 75 year sentenced handed down for the robbery, the rape charges were dismissed. DNA testing was not available at the time to exonerate him for the crimes. Even though he was not convicted for the rape, the evidence clearing him of rape, stood for the robbery too, as they were both connected.
In this position paper I have chosen Bloodsworth v. State ~ 76 Md.App. 23, 543 A.2d 382 case to discuss on whether or not the forensic evidence that was submitted for this case should have been admissible or not. To understand whether or not the evidence should be admissible or not we first have to know what the case is about.
After 11 years of being in prison, Cotton heard of DNA testing. As a final attempt to end his sentencing in jail, he applied and was accepted for DNA testing. The testing proved Cotton was not the rapist, and in fact Bobby Poole was (Picking Cotton). In total, DNA testing has helped 273 people prove innocence as of September, 2011. Also, all of the 34 death penalty states give inmates the right to have access to DNA testing. Not only has the testing been able to prove innocence, but also guilt. “Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide,” which is true for Thompson in this case (DNA Testing and..).
After sitting in jail for a year, he was finally acquitted (found not guilty) and released.
The Public Conviction of Albert DeSalvo and the True Story of Eleven Shocking Murders makes a persuasive argument for DeSalvo being innocent of the strangling murders. She cites a number of reasons why she and others still believed that DeSalvo was innocent. One of the strongest of these reasons is that there was "not one shred of physical
from the victim and the scene of the crime be tested and his appeals were denied ("A.B. Butler").
Raymond Towler and Dean Cage both spend time in jail for crimes they didn't commit. Dean Cage spent nearly 12 years in jail for the crime he was accused of ("Dean Cage"). Raymond Towler is charged with a life sentence plus 12-40 years in jail on the day of September 18, 1981. The craziest thing ever is he served 30
In 1944, 14-year old African American, George Stinney, was wrongfully convicted and executed. According to Murderpedia.org, a digital database containing the collective history of notorious murders, the event took place in Alcolu, South Carolina. Stinney remains the youngest person executed in United States history. Stinney was accused of first-degree murder. He was charged with the murder of 11-year old Betty June Binnicker and 8-year old Mary Emma Thames. Stinney was executed by the formal method of execution at the time, the electric chair. The trial concluded in one day. After Stinney was arrested he was not allowed to see his family until after the trial and conviction concluded. Stinney reportedly confessed to the crime according to the investigating deputy, even though a confession statement by George Stinney never existed. In 2013 Stinney’s descended family petitioned for a retrial. On December 17, 2014, George Stinney’s case
JUSTIFICATION: In researching the possibilities that the bite marks can be falsely identified, I found that the analysis is not always an accurate way to identify the suspect, that being said I think that we should reconsider the partial bite mark being used as evidence.
According to Innocent Project (N.D.), officers who were white interrogated Marvin a black man, and the officers automatically made Marvin a possible suspect for a rape case and he was sentenced to 210 years in prison. In addition, Marvin was convicted of a false identity that was created by the cops. He served 15 years in prison before his charges were overturned. DNA evidence was the key element that overturned Marvin's charges. He was identified as the only black man who committed the crime.
...tation, the body was clearly lying exposed only since September 17 (Innes, 2000). The maggot evidence corroborated other evidence in the case, ensuring the conviction of Ruxton (Henley, 2010).
...ot be found, the forensic dentists uses a post-mortem dental profiling to aide in narrowing down the search (3). Bite marks are quite common in forensic odontology. The American Board of Forensic Odontology has broken up bite mark analysis into 3 major stages. These stages are a description of bite marks, the collection of evidence from the victim and the suspect and finally, the analysis of the bite marks (5). The methods used to perform this task are the manual process which using tracing, photocopier generated overlays, 2D polyline method and the painting method (4). Despite having better and more improved methods to conduct the comparison of bite marks, there still exists a huge problem. The problem involves the physical properties of skin which may cause the bite mark to change (5). Hopefully, in the future more research is done to overcome this issue.