home

DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction

By TChris, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Wed Jun 01, 2005 at 10:20:18 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

by TChris

Beth LaBatte, who was convicted of murdering two sisters, may benefit from DNA tests that suggest her innocence.

"The DNA excludes the person they convicted," said Keith Findley of the Wisconsin Innocence Project. "It shows that her DNA was not on the murder weapon, or on the pair of socks she used to wipe up blood."

DNA from an unidentified person was detected during the testing.

True to form, the prosecutors who handled the case don't want to admit the possibility of error. They claim the strongest evidence consists of admissions LaBatte allegedly made to other prison inmates. It's amazing that prosecutors view prisoners as unimpeachable witnesses whenever they testify for the prosecution. When they testify for the defense, of course, they're criminals who are unworthy of belief.

< Say Hello and Open Thread | It Takes a Bush to Know a Bush >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction | 4 comments (4 topical)
    Re: DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:33 PM EST
    Not to mention the fact that, once convicted of a crime and jailed, I doubt most people tell other inmates "I'm innocent, I was wrongly convicted!" I can't think of a better way to show weakness, and we all know how far that takes you in the US prison system. I'd be making up all the badass stories I could. -- TP in UT

    Re: DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:33 PM EST
    Actually, alot of inmates claim their innocence in prison - even the ones who pled guilty. Hopefully, not too many of them are being truthful about it. Unfortunately, we're finding out that the exonerations that seem to be cropping up over the past few years may be the tip of the iceberg.

    Re: DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction (none / 0) (#3)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:35 PM EST
    ahh, the mysterious unthought of, unknown accomplice theory, works every time.

    Re: DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction (none / 0) (#4)
    by Richard Aubrey on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:37 PM EST
    If I were a prisoner, I sure as hell wouldn't be telling everybody about how I did what I was convicted of. And if I were in jail, awaiting trial, double that. How much testimony could you buy for two piping-hot double cheese Whoppers? For those of us on EDT, we're about four hours from dinner and if you project that mouth-watering thought out through, say, two years of prison chow...you see my point. Jail house testimony about what somebody said ought to be inadmissable.

    DNA Points to Another Wrongful Conviction | 4 comments (4 topical)