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Research website by Alice de Sturler

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You are here: Home / Archives for Wrongful Convictions

Wrongful Convictions

Rest in Peace, Richard Lapointe

August 5, 2020 By Alice

Richard Lapointe Journal Inquirer

Richard Lapointe (Oct. 18, 1945 – Aug.  4, 2020) died of corona virus complications. “He eventually tested negative for the virus, but could not outlive its complications.” Richard was born with Dandy Walker syndrome. This syndrome causes a malformation of the head. Fluids build up and place pressure on the brain. It is a hereditary […]

Filed Under: Cold Case News Tagged With: Bernice Martin, Connecticut, DNA, Richard A. Lapointe, Wrongful Convictions

Louise Raney Keko (Aug 18, 1938 – Aug 4, 1991)

August 1, 2020 By Alice

Louise Raney Keko Photography Margaret Holmberg

The case of Louise Raney Keko (Aug 18, 1938 – Aug 4, 1991) is still unsolved. For obvious reasons, she is the case of the Month for August. I came across her case while reading ‘The Cadaver King’ by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. I reviewed that book on Sept 18, 2018. The book left […]

Filed Under: Case of the Month Tagged With: Case of the Month, gunshot, Louise Raney Keko, Louisiana, Wrongful Convictions

Zeigler: moral right denied

October 19, 2019 By Alice

William Thomas Zeigler/Grid AdS

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala has rejected the appeal made on behalf of William Thomas Zeigler to have his pre-trial evidence from the 70s tested with modern DNA technology. Ayala denied this request “even though her conviction integrity unit urged her in April to grant it, saying it […]

Filed Under: Forensics, Zeigler Tagged With: DNA, Florida, William Thomas Zeigler, Wrongful Convictions

Kristina S. Hickey (1969 – 1984)

October 15, 2019 By Alice

Kristine S. Hickey

Introduction Kristina S. Hickey (1969 – 1984) was murdered in Park Forest, Illinois, 1984. She was 15 years old and still in high school. On January 15, 1987, Christopher Abernathy was convicted for Kristina’s murder. On February 11, 2015, after 30 years of incarceration, Abernathy was exonerated by DNA and set free. But who killed […]

Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice, Unsolved Tagged With: DNA, Illinois, Knife Attack, Kristina S. Hickey, Park Forest, Wrongful Convictions

Daniel Dougherty: third trial

March 27, 2019 By Alice

Photograph AdS

On March 27, 2019, the third trial started for Daniel Dougherty. In 2000, Daniel Dougherty was found guilty of the 1985 arson that killed his two sons, Danny (4) and Johnny (3). Police arrested Dougherty in 1999 after his estranged wife and mother of the two children claimed he had confessed. A jury found him guilty […]

Filed Under: Forensics Tagged With: Daniel Dougherty, Forensic arson detection, Pennsylvania, Wrongful Convictions

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

Hope for William Thomas Zeigler

January 5, 2019 By Alice

William Th. Zeigler with his wife Eunice Edwards-Zeigler

The Tampa bay Times announced Jan 3, 2019 that the Florida State Attorney’s office is “taking a fresh look” at the 1975 case of William Thomas Zeigler. Whether that fresh look is indeed an official review does not become clear in the article. However, we finally have a Florida state representative who “wants to introduce […]

Filed Under: Miscarriages of Justice, Zeigler Tagged With: DNA, Florida, Prosecutorial Misconduct, William Thomas Zeigler, Wrongful Convictions

Sum it Up! #55

December 15, 2017 By Alice

sum it up #cclivechat

Sum it Up! #55 covers a lot of ground. Here we go: Wrongful Convictions 1: Lamonte McIntyre After being wrongly imprisoned for a double-murder for the past 23 years, Lamonte McIntyre walked out of Wyandotte County Courthouse a free man! Lamonte McIntyre was wrongly convicted in 1994 of a double murder he never committed. His conviction […]

Filed Under: Sum it up! Tagged With: Forensics, Police Misconduct, Sum it Up!, Wrongful Convictions

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Dina Fort

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.

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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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