Another false confession uncovered, and a wrongful conviction avoided

06.17.08

A Tennessee man who allegedly confessed last year to a 1994 murder could not possibly have committed the crime because he was in a mental institution at the time, new court documents show. Police said Ronald E. Greene, who has a history of mental illness, confessed to a murder while undergoing a court-ordered evaluation, but his defense lawyer filed documents last week proving that the confession was false.

"I realize a motion to dismiss is an unusual move at this juncture, but given the obvious strength of the alibi Mr. Greene has, I found it important to get this information in front of the court as quickly as possible," Greene’s attorney Steve Sams said.


Read the full story here

. (Knoxville News, 06/13/08)

False confessions or admissions have contributed to 25 percent of the 218 wrongful convictions overturned by DNA testing, and certain mental illnesses and limitations have been shown to make a suspect more likely to confess to something he or she didn’t do.

Read more about false confessions and wrongful convictions here

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