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Est. 2009

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You are here: Home / Archives for Actual Innocence

Actual Innocence

Retired Cop thinks Lapointe is innocent!

May 2, 2010 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

Donald Connery, another long time supporter of Richard Lapointe, wrote an article for the Hartford Courant. It is worth reading especially this part: “… the forthrightness of retired Manchester police captain Joseph Brooks. His detectives lured Lapointe to headquarters on false pretenses on July 4, 1989, and got him to agree that he must be guilty. […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Autopsy, DNA, Expert Testimony, Forensics, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Richard A. Lapointe, Unsolved Homicide

A new trial for Richard Lapointe

April 30, 2010 By Alice

Richard A. Lapointe

Rick Green had an interview today with Richard Lapointe. On Monday, a Superior Court judge in Rockville — in response to a ruling in his favor from the state Appellate Court — will take yet another look at this endlessly appealed saga of what is either a wrongful conviction or a very crafty mentally disabled […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Autopsy, DNA, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Richard Lapointe

Update Hank Skinner Case

April 20, 2010 By Alice

The United States Supreme Court Justices put off a decision in the Hank Skinner case. It is from Texas, a state that executes more prisoners per year than any other state. Hank Skinner made an actual innocence claim, demanding DNA testing on other evidence gathered at the crime scene. The justices had issued a stay just before […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Capital Punishment, DNA, Forensics, Henry Skinner, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas

Zeigler, Part VII: The Thompson Report

April 16, 2010 By Alice

William Th. Zeigler with his wife Eunice Edwards-Zeigler

Vicki Harley Holland has a website about Tommy Zeigler. It is called “Prayers for Tommy.” She commented on my previous posting “This post will be written by you.” In it, she refers to “Fatal Flaw” by Phillip Finch, the book I also recommend. In the middle of her website, near the top, you see “Letters […]

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Filed Under: Zeigler Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Capital Punishment, DNA, Faulty Evidence, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, William Thomas Zeigler, Wrongful Convictions

Zeigler, Part VI

March 30, 2010 By Alice

Zeigler, Part VI: On Preliminary Crime Scene Approach & Investigation Orange County Sheriff’s Office Detective Donald Frye was on duty in the Crime against Persons Section. After investigating the crime scene, he concluded that these four people did not die at the same time. With that, I agree. According to Frye, Mays had been shot […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice, Zeigler Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Capital Punishment, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, William Thomas Zeigler

Zeigler, Part V

March 30, 2010 By Alice

Zeigler, Part V: The Bodies Mr. Charlie Mays was savagely beaten, his face disfigured with blood coming through his skull, and he had been shot twice in the abdomen (once from the front and once from the back). Judging from the blood splatters, Mays had been beaten to death where he was found. The killer […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved, Zeigler Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Death Row, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Finger Printing, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

Hawley Harvey Crippen

March 27, 2010 By Alice

Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen

I enjoyed reading Crippen by John Boyne about of course, Hawley Harvey Crippen. On October 18, 1910, almost 100 years ago, the murder trial of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen started at the Old Bailey, UK. It gripped the public, as had his flight with his mistress who was dressed as a boy, and the police chase across the […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Autopsy, Book Reviews, Capital Punishment, DNA, Evidence, Forensics, Hawley Harvey Crippen, Identification, Miscarriage of Justice

Tommy Zeigler, Part II

March 20, 2010 By Alice

Tommy & Eunice Zeigler, 1973 (Beulah Zeigler Collection)

Tommy Zeigler  is a quiet man, in control of his emotions, not wearing his heart on his sleeve and to most, he comes across as reserved. Very reserved. He used to be politically active behind the scenes in his hometown of Winter Garden, Florida. He had once led a successful drive to unseat a longtime […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice, Zeigler Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Ballistics, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, DNA, Florida, Forensics, Gun Fire, Miscarriage of Justice, Prosecutorial Misconduct, William Thomas Zeigler, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

Too many wrongful convictions

February 4, 2010 By Alice

Photography AdS

Today, Innocence Project’s client Freddie Peacock became the 250th person exonerated through DNA evidence in the United States of America. Peacock was convicted in New York in 1976 of a rape he didn’t commit based on an eyewitness misidentification and a false confession that police claimed he made during an interrogation. Peacock, who has severe […]

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Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Capital Punishment, DNA, Expert Testimony, Forensics, Mental Retardation, Wrongful Convictions

Arson Case Not on Agenda

January 27, 2010 By Alice

Photograph AdS

Arson Case Not on Agenda as Texas Panel Reconvenes: the Innocence Project Online reports that after a long hiatus and months of national controversy, the Texas Forensic Science Commission will meet on Friday January 29, but the controversial case of Cameron Todd Willingham is not on the agenda. New commission chair John Bradley said he […]

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Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Miscarriage of Justice, Texas, Witnesses, Wrongful Convictions

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Dina Fort

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.

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Alice de Sturler

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