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Documentary Questions Murder Conviction

By TChris, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Fri Sep 16, 2005 at 09:04:04 AM EST
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by TChris

The Innocence Project at Illinois State University hopes that a documentary will arouse interest in the 1993 murder conviction of Dale Helmig.

Missouri newspapers have begun to re-examine the case since the Innocence Project produced "A Matter of Innocence: The Story of Dale Helmig" that will be shown Tuesday at ISU.

There is ample reason to question Helmig's guilt. Helmig's supporters argue that police and prosecutors built a circumstantial case against Helmig while ignoring evidence pointing to two other suspects.

In Dale Helmig's case, the Innocence Project contends the defense was ineffective. [Prof. John] McHale said Dale Helmig's trial lawyer argued the death was an accident, even though Norma Helmig had a concrete block tied around her waist when the body was pulled from a flood-swollen Missouri River.

McHale thinks the defense should have pressed the fact Dale Helmig had no way to reach his mother on the night she died because flood waters made bridges impassable and he was on the other side of the river.

In addition, Dale Helmig and his mother had a good relationship, said [Dale's brother] Richard Helmig. His mother was going through a bitter divorce, he said, and told him she feared two other people.

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    Documentary Questions Murder Conviction | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Documentary Questions Murder Conviction (none / 0) (#1)
    by wishful on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:56 PM EST
    Would any effort to wxonerate Mr. Helmig require filing a habeas corpus petition? If so, isn't this exactly the thing that the Honorable Judge John Roberts wants to place even more extreme limits upon than there already are?

    Documentary Questions Murder Conviction | 1 comment (1 topical)