Another Arson Conviction Under Review

Journalism students in Pittsburgh have uncovered significant evidence suggesting that an innocent man may have been convicted of setting a fire to his home in 1996 that claimed the lives of three firefighters. Now, attorneys for Greg Brown are seeking to have his conviction overturned.

Brown was convicted of arson for allegedly working with his mother to burn down their house and collect $20,000 in insurance money. But students at the Innocence Institute at Point Park University, a member of the Innocence Network, have turned up evidence that calls the case against Brown into question. First, they found documents showing that a star prosecution witness was paid $5,000 to testify – information that was never shared with the defense or the jury. Other documents suggest that a natural gas leak may have caused the fire.

“We’ve looked at this case for seven years and a lot of things have emerged from it that indicate that justice may not have been done,” Innocence Institute Director Bill Moushey said.

Read the full story here

. (CBS Pittsburgh)



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. Arson convictions have drawn controversy in recent years after evidence surfaced that

Cameron Todd Willingham

had been executed for arson murder in Texas in 2004 despite strong evidence of his innocence. A forthcoming documentary looks into the Willingham case –

watch a preview of the film here

.