PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "At trial, Detroit Police Sgt. Claude Houseworth testified that bullets recovered from the victim, the crime scene and Siggers’ home were discharged from the same gun. The gun was never recovered. Michael Waldo, Siggers’ current attorney who works with the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, presented testimony from a ballistics expert who found fault with Houseworth’s findings. Waldo wrote in a court document, “In 2015, Mr. David Townshend, a retired Michigan State Trooper with more than 20 years of experience in the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory Firearms Identification Unit, conducted an independent review. Mr. Townshend determined that Sgt. Houseworth’s conclusions were ‘erroneous,’ ‘unbelievable’ and ‘highly improbable.’ ” David Balash, a retired Michigan State Police firearms examiner, also reviewed the ballistics evidence presented at Siggers’ trial and determined that Houseworth’s testimony was “both confusing and at times totally inaccurate.” Further testing on the ballistics evidence could not be completed because Detroit police destroyed the evidence in 2003. In 2008, the Detroit Police crime lab was shut down after a State Police audit discovered a high error rate in firearms cases."
STORY: "Detroit Man Released from Prison After 34 Years of Wrongful Incarceration," by Inocence Project Staff, published on August 16, 2018.
GIST: "Darrell Siggers was released from prison
after spending 34 years behind bars for a murder he maintains he did not
commit. In 1984, Siggers was convicted of murder in Wayne County,
Michigan and sentenced to life-in-prison. Prosecutors agreed to vacate Siggers’ conviction because the
ballistics evidence and witness testimony presented at his trial have
since been disputed. At trial, Detroit Police Sgt. Claude Houseworth
testified that bullets recovered from the victim, the crime scene and
Siggers’ home were discharged from the same gun. The gun was never
recovered. Michael Waldo, Siggers’ current attorney who works with the Michigan
State Appellate Defender Office, presented testimony from a ballistics
expert who found fault with Houseworth’s findings.
Waldo wrote in a court document, “In 2015, Mr. David Townshend, a
retired Michigan State Trooper with more than 20 years of experience in
the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory Firearms Identification Unit,
conducted an independent review. Mr. Townshend determined that Sgt.
Houseworth’s conclusions were ‘erroneous,’ ‘unbelievable’ and ‘highly
improbable.’ ” David Balash, a retired Michigan State Police firearms examiner, also
reviewed the ballistics evidence presented at Siggers’ trial and
determined that Houseworth’s testimony was “both confusing and at times
totally inaccurate.” Further testing on the ballistics evidence could not be completed
because Detroit police destroyed the evidence in 2003. In 2008, the
Detroit Police crime lab was shut down after a State Police audit
discovered a high error rate in firearms cases. Siggers’ re-trial is scheduled for December. Until then, Siggers will
be spending time with his three children and eight grandchildren, and
will enroll in college courses to advance the associate degree he earned
while incarcerated. “Being in prison for 34 years for something that you didn’t do, and
then to be free … it’s just an awesome moment,” Siggers, now 54, told
the Free Press after his release. “I feel wonderful.”"
The entire story can be found at the link below:
The entire story can be found at the link below:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
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