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Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

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You are here: Home / Archives for wrongful conviction

wrongful conviction

Gerard Homer Soules (Aug 3, 1936 – June 4, 1992)

May 1, 2019 By Alice

Gerard Soules in a publicity portrait for the Ice Capades, 1988. From The Collection of The Soules Family; Digital colorization by Lorna Clark.

Gerard Homer Soules (Aug 3, 1936 – June 4, 1992) was a famous trapeze artist with Ringling Bros. He performed in the center ring for five years. His last performance was for Queen Elizabeth. His signature move was a forward somersault off the trapeze catching the bar again with his heels. Soules never missed until […]

Filed Under: Case of the Month Tagged With: DNA, Gerard Homer Soules, Knife Attack, Nevada, Prosecutorial Misconduct, wrongful conviction

Anita Mae Carter Lukander (Oct 21, 1965 – March 18, 1988)

April 18, 2019 By Alice

Lukander/Photography Janneane Veger

On March 17, 1988 Anita Mae Carter Lukander (22) vanished from her Atlantic Beach home in Florida. Her remains were found ten days later. Her case remains unsolved. Missing When Anita did not report for work, the authorities went to her house. They found her door unlocked and the lights were on. A few days […]

Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Anita Mae Carter Lukander, Florida, Knife Attack, mutilation, Peru, Strangulation, wrongful conviction

Nie Shubin exonerated 21 years after his execution

December 5, 2016 By Alice

Nie Shubin/CNN

From KFDR: “China’s top court overturned Nie Shubin’s conviction Friday, in a landmark case that exposed deep flaws in China’s criminal justice system.” Nie Shubin was executed by firing squad in 1995 without notifying his parents. He was just 20 years old and had been detained for seven months. Nie Shubin was found guilty of the 1994 […]

Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: China, death penalty, exonerated, Nie Shubin, wrongful conviction

Gun Alley by Kevin Morgan

September 10, 2016 By Alice

Gun Alley by Kevin Morgan

Gun Alley by Kevin Morgan is about the murder of Alma Tirtschke (12) a.k.a. the “schoolgirl murder.” It is a cold case, a wrongful conviction, the rape-murder of a child, sloppy police work, jailhouse information, and a rush to judgment that led to the botched execution on April 24, 1922 of an innocent man. Collin Campbell […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Miscarriages of Justice Tagged With: Alma Tirtschke, Australia, Book Reviews, botched execution, Collin Campbell Ross, Kevin Morgan, wrongful conviction

Controversial: the Zeigler case

April 1, 2016 By Alice

William Thomas Zeigler/Grid AdS

Controversial: the Zeigler case  has too many questions open despite the prosecution’s stand that there are none. The case of William Thomas Zeigler is covered in so many posts on my blog (60+) that he has has own category. Yesterday, attorney Dennis Tracey III explained in his opening statements that many of those open questions could […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Miscarriages of Justice, Zeigler Tagged With: DNA, Florida, William Thomas Zeigler, wrongful conviction

Sum it Up! #50

February 6, 2014 By Alice

sum it up

Sum it Up! #50 starts with the tragic news that K-9 Rocco was stabbed to death. From the Philly: “Rocco, an 8-year-old German shepherd, was wounded Tuesday while helping take an armed suspect into custody in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. He has been credited with saving the lives of his handler and two other officers on the scene.” R.I.P. Rocco […]

Filed Under: Sum it up! Tagged With: blood spatter, Crime Scene, Forensics, Sum it Up!, wrongful conviction

Sum it Up! #45

October 30, 2013 By Alice

sum it up

Sum it Up! #45 is all about forensics. As we near the end of 2013, think back to some crimes that captured the world. In 1918, the Romanov family was butchered. Since we did not immediately find all family members’ remains speculation about survival endured and imposters contributed to the mystery. Until we found two […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Sum it up! Tagged With: #crimechat, Alfred Moore, Bite-mark Evidence, Burke & Hare Murders, DNA, Romanovs, Steve Lawson, Sue Carney, Sum it Up!, wrongful conviction

The cold case of Maria Ridulph

December 12, 2012 By Alice

Maria Ridulph

On Dec 3, 1957, Maria Ridulph (7) vanished from a small-town street corner in Sycamore, IL, while playing in the snow. Arrested in July 2011 and sentenced in December 2012 for her murder was Jack McCullough, formerly known as John Tessier. McCullough was released from prison on April 15, 2016. Charges against him were dismissed on April […]

Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Illinois, Jack McCullough, Maria Ridulph, Missing Person, wrongful conviction

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Author Notes

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 325 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.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

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 still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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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!

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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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