• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home Page
  • About this website and the writer
  • Testimonials
  • Archives
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Page

Defrosting Cold Cases

Unsolved cases that need your attention

  • Cold Case Database
    • Index
      • Cases Index A-G
      • Cases Index H-N
      • Cases Index O-Z
    • Summaries
      • Case Summaries A-G
      • Case Summaries H-N
      • Case Summaries O-Z
  • Two Research Methods
  • Search Tips
  • Case of the Month
  • Guest Writers
  • Book Reviews
You are here: Home / Forensics / Adam Gray: a case to watch

Adam Gray: a case to watch

July 13, 2016 By Alice

Forensic arson detection/AdSIn Adam Gray’s case we see the same flawed and overhauled technology that gave Cameron Todd Willingham a death sentence. Gray’s story has eerie similarities to Kenneth Richey’s case.  We are talking about forensic arson detection, of course.

From the Chicago Tribune: “Prosecutors in State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s Conviction Integrity Unit concluded in recently filed court papers that Gray deserves a new trial because dramatic advancements in fire science have “partially invalidated” expert testimony that was crucial to Gray’s arson and double murder conviction in 1996.”

The old file was examined by experts John Lentini and Gerald Hurst. It sounds all too familiar: “At trial, prosecutors focused on two elements — the evidence that the fire had been intentionally set and a confession from Gray. Two fire investigators said they found alligator charring and deep burn patterns at the scene and concluded they were evidence of a hot fire set with an accelerant.”

Reviews of old arson cases show that many conclusions drawn then were simply wrong. The most important mistakes centered on:

  • puddle configurations
  • pour patterns
  • burn trailers and
  • V-shaped burning marks

At the Willingham trial, V-shaped burn marks were interpreted as THE sole indicator pointing us to the spot where the fire started (e.g. point of origin). Now we know that V-shaped burn marks occur repeatedly during flashover and do not exclusively tell us where the fire started.

Flashover happens when the radiant heat of the flames changes a fire in a room to a room on fire. Read it twice because there is a difference. Flashover can happen within minutes and WITHOUT a liquid accelerant. As forensic arson detection progressed we now know that ordinary pieces of furniture contain flammable materials such as upholstery

Judge Angela Petrone will decide in the next few weeks whether Adam Gray will get a new trial.

Thank you for sharing!

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor

Related

Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Adam Gray, Forensic arson detection, Wrongful Convictions

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Adam Gray denied new trial - Defrosting Cold Cases says:
    November 8, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    […] the Chicago Tribune: “Judge Angela Petrone remained unconvinced that lawyers for Adam Gray had produced enough evidence for a jury to acquit him at a new […]

Primary Sidebar

Dina Fort

Top Posts & Pages

  • Archive
  • Cold Case Database
  • Justice for Antonella Mattina
  • Case of the Month: Hinterkaifeck
  • Remembering Ronnie and Connie Collins

Categories

  • Book Reviews (182)
  • Case of the Month (130)
  • Cold Case News (226)
  • Forensics (287)
  • Guest Bloggers (57)
  • Miscarriages of Justice (131)
  • Missing Persons (126)
  • Unidentified (32)
  • Unsolved (524)
  • Zeigler (65)

Author Notes

Since 2009, I write about unsolved cases that need renewed media attention. I only do research and leave active investigations to the authorities.

My posts cover homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to unsolved cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme, tone, and research. It is my prerogative to not review a book. Please check the FAQ page for more.

My databases are free to the public. Cases are sorted by the victim’s last name.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the About page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you cannot find the answers there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Subscribe to DCC by email

Enter your email address to get new posts notifications in your inbox

Copyright

If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

Protected by Copyscape

Copyright © 2025 ·News Pro · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress