CALVIN LEE MILLER AND MICHAEL BUCHANEK CASES: LAWSUITS AGAINST DOG-SNIFFING "SPECIALIST" KEITH PIKETT ALLEGE DISHONESTY; VICTORIA ADVOCATE REPORTS;

"IN THAT TRIAL, PIKETT TESTIFIED HE EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER'S IN CHEMISTRY IN HOUSTON. IN A 2000 PRE-TRIAL HEARING, PIKETT SAID HE HAD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY.

BUT IN DEPOSITION FOR BUCHANEK'S SUIT, PIKETT SAID HE HAD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION FROM THE UNITED STATES SPORTS ACADEMY.

EASLEY FILED COPIES OF PIKETT'S DIPLOMAS FRIDAY: A BACHELOR'S OF SCIENCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND A MASTER'S OF SPORT SCIENCE IN SPORT COACHING FROM THE UNITED STATES SPORTS ACADEMY.

"HE APPEARS TO TESTIFY TO THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE," EASLEY SAID."

LESLIE WILBER; THE VICTORIA ADVOCATE;

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Background: This Blog has been delving into the havoc caused by the late John Preston and his magical dog who could purportedly trace scents across water. The focus now turns to Deputy Keith Pikett, another so-called dog-scent "specialist", a canine officer with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, just southwest of Houston. Time Magazine has reported on two apparent miscarriages of Justice involving Pikett; The first case studied involves Calvin Lee Miller, who was charged with robbery and sexual assault after Pikett's bloodhounds alerted police to a scent on sheets that Pikett said matched a scent swipe from Miller's cheek. DNA evidence later cleared Miller, but only after he served 62 days in jail. In a second case, former Victoria County Sheriff's Department Captain Michael Buchanek was named as a "person of interest" in a murder case after Pikett's bloodhounds sped 5.5 miles from a crime scene, tracking a scent to Buchanek's home. Another man later confessed to the murder.

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Reporter Leslie Wilber has been reporting on dog-scent "specialist" Keith Pikett for the Victoria Advocate;

"Court filings accuse a Fort Bend County Sheriff's deputy of lying about his schooling and the accuracy of his bloodhounds," Wilber's story begins, under the heading, "Pikett subject of two federal lawsuits" and the sub-heading: "Evidence mounts against dog handler named in lawsuits."

"Keith Pikett is the only Texas dog handler who performs scent lineups, and his technique is the subject of two federal lawsuits," the August 11, 2009 story continues;

""It would be irresponsible for any prosecutor to use him as a witness," Jeff Blackburn said in response to the latest documents filed in one suit against Pikett. Blackburn is the chief counsel for the Innocence Project of Texas, a group that works to uncover wrongful convictions and is currently investigating Pikett.

The lawsuits, filed in Victoria, accuse Pikett of using shaky scent identification techniques that produce unreliable results.

In June, Pikett's attorney, Randy Morse, filed a motion asking Judge John Rainey to throw out former Victoria County Sheriff's Capt. Michael Buchanek's suit against Pikett.

Buchanek's home was searched after Pikett's bloodhounds picked his scent from lineups during the high-profile investigation of Sally Blackwell's murder.

Jeffery Grimsinger later pleaded guilty to killing the 55-year-old Victoria woman and is serving life in prison.

Rex Easley, who represents Buchanek, filed a lengthy response to Morse's motion on Friday.

The response included an excerpt from Pikett's testimony in the 1997 murder trial of Marcus Bridger Cotton. Cotton was executed in 2004.

In that trial, Pikett testified he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Syracuse University and a master's in chemistry in Houston. In a 2000 pre-trial hearing, Pikett said he had a master's degree in chemistry.

But in deposition for Buchanek's suit, Pikett said he had a master's degree in education from the United States Sports Academy.

Easley filed copies of Pikett's diplomas Friday: A bachelor's of science from the University of Southern Alabama and a master's of sport science in sport coaching from the United States Sports Academy.

"He appears to testify to things that aren't true," Easley said.

Morse said he received Easley's response late Friday night.

"I have not even had a chance to review it," he said when asked about the allegations. Morse quickly ended the phone call.

News stories questioning Pikett's methods prompted former Harris County assistant district attorney Victor Wisner to call Easley. Wisner wrote an affidavit accusing Pikett and his hounds of picking out the wrong man in a lineup.

Wisner and Houston Police officers from the Westside Task Force were working on a case against a man accused in a series of burglaries. After the charges were filed, Wisner found out investigators from Houston's central burglary and theft had filed charges against another man. Those charges were based on a scent lineup by Pikett, Wisner wrote in his affidavit.

"The scent evidence was ludicrous and incriminated a person who was unrelated to the offenses," Wisner wrote. Wisner wrote an e-mail to all the prosecutors in the office, warning them that Pikett's evidence was unreliable.

"I also know the B&T officers he assisted had attempted to cover the incident up to protect Pikett's reputation," Wisner wrote.

Wisner did not want to elaborate on his cover-up allegations.

"I stand by everything in the affidavit," Wisner said.

The Houston Police Department did use Pikett in some cases, said Kese Smith, with the department of public affairs. He would not comment on the allegations in Wisner's affidavit."

http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2009/aug/11/lw_pikett_folo_081109_61247/?news&local-news

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;