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Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

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Lapointe

Lapointe seeks $13.5M in state compensation

March 18, 2019 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

In 1992, Richard A. Lapointe was sentenced to life plus 60 years for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin who was found stabbed, raped, and strangled in her Manchester, Connecticut apartment that was set on fire. Lapointe has Dandy walker Syndrome, a congenital brain malformation that made him gullible and vulnerable to giving a false […]

Filed Under: Lapointe Tagged With: Bernice Martin, Connecticut, Richard A. Lapointe, Wrongful Convictions

Guest blogging for GMA

February 29, 2016 By Alice

Criminal Justice Photo Art by AdS

Guest blogging for GMA was my pleasure and absolute honour. This UK based blog on human rights is from Global Minorities Alliance, a non-profit, non-governmental human rights organisation. They believe that all human beings, regardless of race, colour, religion or belief, faith or no faith, gender, or membership of another particular social group, should be treated […]

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers, Lapointe, Unsolved Tagged With: AISOCC, Bernice Martin, Cold Cases, DNA, GMA, Human Rights, M-Vac Systems, Richard A. Lapointe, UK, Wrongful Convictions

Richard Lapointe free on bail

April 10, 2015 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

Richard Lapointe free on bail as reported by CT Now: “On April 10, 2015, Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander ordered that Lapointe be released on $250,000 security bond. Alexander also ordered him not to have contact with any members of the victim’s family and that he be subject to intensive pre-trial supervision. Appeal lawyers at […]

Filed Under: Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Bernice Martin, Connecticut, Richard A. Lapointe, Wrongful Convictions

Lapointe’s wrongful conviction

April 1, 2015 By Alice

Bernice Martin

Lapointe’s wrongful conviction brings back Martin’s cold case because if we take Lapointe out of the equation we are left with no answers. Who killed Bernice Martin? The decision The decision to grant a new trial is here (RICHARD LAPOINTE v. COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTION). A few quotes: “On appeal, the petitioner claims that the court improperly rejected his […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved Tagged With: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Bernice Martin, Connecticut, DNA, Miscarriage of Justice, Police Misconduct, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Richard A. Lapointe

Connecticut Supreme Court Orders New Trial For Richard Lapointe

March 31, 2015 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

Connecticut Supreme Court Orders New Trial For Richard Lapointe after the state’s appeal from Sept 17, 2013! From the Hartford Courant of March 31, 2015 is says:”the mentally disabled dishwasher was denied evidence supporting his innocence when he was tried and convicted a quarter-century ago for the rape and murder of his then-wife’s 88-year-old grandmother. The […]

Filed Under: Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Bernice Martin, Connecticut, Richard A. Lapointe

False Confessions: why & how?

September 26, 2013 By Alice

Photography AdS

False Confessions: why & how? This month two extremely important cases are under review. In the USA, the Connecticut Supreme Court heard the State’s appeal in the case of Richard Lapointe.   The state is appealing the decision to grant Lapointe a new trial. False confessions (four) and forensic arson detection are key in this […]

Filed Under: Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Douglas L. Keene, Gisli Gudjonsson, Jerry Hobbs III, Juan Rivera, Martien Meijer-Hunnik, Miscarriage of Justice, Police Interrogations, Richard A. Lapointe, Richard Ofshe, Riley Fox, Rita Handrich, the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four, the Maguire Seven, Wrongful Convictions

Case of the Month: Bernice Martin

September 2, 2013 By Alice

Case of the Month: Bernice Martin. On March 8, 1987, fire fighters found Mrs. Bernice Martin inside the Mayfair Gardens Elderly Housing Complex, Manchester, Connecticut. She had been brutally beaten and passed away that same night in the hospital. The fire department found her front door locked but the glass sliding door in the back open. The […]

Filed Under: Case of the Month, Cold Case News, Forensics, Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Bernice Martin, Case of the Month, Connecticut, DNA, illegal wire-tapping, Police Misconduct, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Richard A. Lapointe

CT Supreme Court hears Lapointe case Sept 17, 2013

August 18, 2013 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

CT Supreme Court hears Lapointe case Sept 17, 2013. This fantastic news came from the Bellingham Herald. Almost a year ago, I posted that Richard Lapointe was going to get a new trial. In a stunning decision, the state Appellate Court Monday ordered a new trial for Richard Lapointe, a mentally disabled dishwasher convicted of […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Lapointe, Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved Tagged With: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Bernice Martin, False Confessions, Miscarriage of Justice, Police Misconduct, Richard A. Lapointe

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Dina Fort

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On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these 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 and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 300 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

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Alice de Sturler

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William Thomas Zeigler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.

Richard Lapointe

Category: ALL POSTS

In March 2015, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard lapointe. On Oct 2, 2015, International Wrongful Conviction Day, Richard was set free. The judge ruled that he cannot be retried for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin. Richard Lapointe died on Aug 4, 2020 of Covid19 complications.

In 1987, someone killed Bernice Martin. I hope that she will not become a forgotten file.
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Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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