Rape charges were dropped against Bennie Starks, whose wrongful conviction was based in part on bite mark evidence; a North Carolina man will receive a new trial based on the misconduct of State Bureau of Investigation agents; and a UK scientist finds that insect bites can mimic injuries on a corpse. Here’s this week’s round up of forensic news:
Illinois prosecutors have
dropped rape charges against Bennie Starks
, who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Bite mark evidence was used in the original trial to tie Starks to the victim.
Judge Orlando Hudson is
granting a North Carolina man a new trial
after finding that the State Bureau of Investigation agent “deliberately and intentionally misled the jury at Mr. Peterson’s trial about the scientific basis and acceptability of his opinions, methods and experiments.”
In response to learning that
three of six trace evidence examiners at the Philadelphia Crime Lab failed their proficiency tests
, city officials made a public announcement of the failures, vowing to retrain the technicians and review all past casework.
Michigan’s State Police Crime Labs are
in danger of losing their national accreditation
as they race to meet new standards and reduce the backlog.
A UK scientist’s research shows that
insects and other creatures can deposit marks on a corpse
which mimic other injuries.
News 05.17.12
Science Thursday – May 17, 2012
Featured news
‘Tough-on-Crime’ Policies Are at Odds With the Presumption of Innocence
Dear Friend, We launch into 2023, with big, ambitious plans for the coming year, buoyed by last year’s successes — including six ...
News01.26.23
‘Tough-on-Crime’ Policies Are at Odds With the Presumption of Innocence
Ian Schweitzer Exonerated of Murder After 25 Years in Hawaii
New DNA evidence identifies one unknown male perpetrator, proving Mr. Schweitzer and his co-defendants’ innocence in 1991 murder and rape.
News01.24.23
Ian Schweitzer Exonerated of Murder After 25 Years in Hawaii
Loading...
Thanks for your comment
Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.