MILLER/BUCHANEK CASES: FLORIDA INNOCENCE PROJECT REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO PIKETT'S SCENT-LINEUPS TO BE FINISHED "WITHIN WEEKS"; VICTORIA ADVOCATE;

"THE GROUP PLANS TO SHARE ITS FINDINGS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE STATE. THE INNOCENCE PROJECT WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO AN OUTSIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN HOPES OF TRIGGERING AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION, BLACKBURN SAID."

SIDEBAR; 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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A sidebar to reporter Leslie Wilbers August 12 story on Keith Pikett tells us that, "A report detailing the Innocence Project of Texas' investigation into Keith Pikett's scent lineups should be finished within weeks."

""We have done hundreds of hours of work so far in the last month," said Jeff Blackburn, the group's chief counsel. "It's pretty disturbing,"" the sidebar continues;

"The Innocence Project is investigating several cases in which Pikett's testimony was used to get a conviction, Blackburn said.

"This is a very flawed witness who is giving very flawed testimony," Blackburn said.

The group plans to share its findings with law enforcement across the state. The Innocence Project would also like to make a formal complaint to an outside law enforcement agency in hopes of triggering an official investigation, Blackburn said.

When the report is finished, it will be available online, Blackburn said."

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;