Science Thursday

One Texas man was released from prison while another remains on death row in cases where forensic pathology played a role. Here’s a roundup of this week’s forensics news:

Ernie Lopez was released from prison after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals determined that his trial lawyers

provided ineffective assistance

by failing to dispute the prosecution’s theory regarding the death of a child whom experts now think died of natural causes.

A Texas man on death row maintains his innocence while

questions regarding the medical examiner’s time of death determination

of the victim persist.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s address on public safety will include a call for

20 more forensic scientists

and spending $5 million on forensic services.