DNA Evidence from 2000 Murder Points to Victim’s Nephew

A Washington man was arrested Tuesday after DNA testing linked him to a 2000 murder for which another man is currently serving a life sentence, according to the

Longview Daily News

.

Innocence Project Northwest

client Donovan Allen was convicted of aggravated first-degree murder for the death of his mother Sharon Cox in 2002 and was sentence to life in prison without parole. Allen confessed to the crime after 14 hours of overnight interrogation and later recanted. In May, Innocence Project Northwest attorneys requested that additional DNA testing be performed on the victim’s clothing, nail scrapings and other evidence found at the scene. DNA found on the collar of the victim’s sweater and on her shirt matched to her nephew, Brian Del Kitts, who was a person of interest during the initial investigation.

Police officials told the Longview daily news that Kitts is considered to be an additional perpetrator, and that the evidence does not exonerate Allen. Innocence Project Northwest Policy Director Lara Zarowsky told The Associated Press on Wednesday that there was no indication that the crime was committed by more than one person and that the new testing excludes Allen as a suspect.

“Any additional time he has to spend in prison for the murder of his mother is a tragedy,” Zarowsky told the Associated Press. “To us, this is a clear case of wrongful conviction.”

Read the

Longview Daily News

article

here

.

Read the Associated Press coverage

here

.