DIXMOORE FIVE AND ENGLEWOOD CASES; (SAUNDERS AND BAR): INNOCENCE PROJECT ISSUES "PLEA FOR HELP". DNA EVIDENCE POINTS ELSEWHERE;

'The nine men were convicted of two separate murders three years and 12 miles apart, but their cases bear striking similarities. All nine were teenagers when they were arrested. Seven of them confessed under pressure, and all seven have since said the confessions were coerced during intense interrogations. DNA test results from key evidence in both cases implicates other perpetrators who have committed similar crimes, but Cook County prosecutors have attempted to downplay the evidence, arguing to keep the convictions of these nine young men intact.'

THE INNOCENCE PROJECT; (SEE BACKGROUND ON THE DIXMOORE AND ENGLEWOOD CASES BELOW);

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"New DNA test results prove that nine Chicago-area men were convicted in the 1990s of crimes they didn’t commit. Five of them remain behind bars in Illinois, and prosecutors are refusing to cooperate with the Innocence Project and other attorneys seeking their release," the plea for help from the Innocence Project published on August 9, 2011 under the heading, "Help Free Five Innocent Men in Illinois," begins.

"Today the Innocence Project partnered with Color of Change and other organizations to launch a petition calling on Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to join us in calling for the men's convictions to be vacated," the plea for help continues.

The nine men were convicted of two separate murders three years and 12 miles apart, but their cases bear striking similarities. All nine were teenagers when they were arrested. Seven of them confessed under pressure, and all seven have since said the confessions were coerced during intense interrogations. DNA test results from key evidence in both cases implicates other perpetrators who have committed similar crimes, but Cook County prosecutors have attempted to downplay the evidence, arguing to keep the convictions of these nine young men intact.

In both cases, the Innocence Project is working with the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth (at Northwestern Law School), the Exoneration Project (at the University of Chicago Law School) and private attorneys.

Sign the petition here, and read more background on these cases.

We’ll post updates here as the campaign progresses."

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BACKGROUND ON THE DIXMOORE AND ENGLEWOOD CASES; (THE INNOCENCE PROJECT);

"In 1991, a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and killed in Dixmoor, a village in south suburban Chicago. Ten months after the victim’s body was found, police focused their investigation around Robert Taylor, Jonathan Barr, James Harden, Robert Lee Veal and Shainne Sharp. Three of them confessed after high-pressure police interrogations, and all five were arrested and charged with the crime.

DNA testing was conducted on sperm cells from swabs of the victim’s body, and the profile pointed to a single unidentified male – excluding all five teens. Regardless, the five men were charged with the crime. Two of them pled guilty and testified against the others in exchange for shorter sentences. Both men have since recanted their testimony. The other three were convicted after trials, and each was sentenced to at least 80 years in prison.

In March 2011, DNA from semen found on the victim’s body was linked to a man with a lengthy record including sexual assault and armed robbery convictions. He was 32 years old when his DNA was found in the 14-year-old victim’s body, and he currently lives in Chicago. In a written motion opposing the release of the Dixmoor Five, the State’s Attorney’s office downplayed the significance of the DNA results, which clearly implicate a man with no connection to the five teens convicted of the crime.

In this case, the Innocence Project represents Barr, who has served 13 years in prison so far for this crime. Taylor and Harden are also still incarcerated. The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University Law School represents Taylor, and the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School represents Harden. Veal is represented by attorneys at Valorem Law Group, and Sharp is represented by Jerry Peteet.

Englewood Cases

In November of 1994, the naked body of a 30-year-old woman was found strangled to death behind a house in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side. Four months later, a tip allegedly led police to investigate five teenagers in the murder. After intense interrogations, police said that all five had confessed to raping and killing the woman, although there were major factual discrepancies in their statements. Semen was identified on samples collected from the victim’s body and an early form of DNA testing was conducted, excluding all five suspects as possible contributors. Despite this evidence, prosecutors went forward with trials.

Based almost exclusively on the confessions, three of the men – Terrill Swift, Harold Richardson and Michael Saunders — were convicted by a judge and sentenced to 30-40 years in prison. A fourth, Vincent Thames, pled guilty in exchange for a 30 year sentence. Prosecutors dropped charges against the fifth man after his confession was suppressed.

In May 2011, a complete DNA profile of the semen found on the victim’s body after the crime was compared to a national database at the request of the Innocence Project and other organizations. The profile implicated another man, now deceased, who had been connected to a series of violent assaults and murders . Court filings by the State argue that any DNA match in this case would be inconclusive due to the lifestyle of the victim, who was known to engage in prostitution. However, the semen found in the strangled body of Ms. Glover is from a man that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office has long believed was responsible for two strangulation-murders of prostitutes and violent assaults of at least five others.

In this case, the Innocence Project represents Michael Saunders, who has served 17 years in prison and is still behind bars at Dixon Correctional Center in Dixon, Illinois. Richardson, who is represented by the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School, is also still incarcerated. The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University Law School represents Swift, who is on parole. Thames, who served his complete sentence and was released recently, is represented by attorneys at Valorem Law Group."

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The plea for help can be found at:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/Help_Free_Five_Innocent_Men_in_Illinois.php

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: 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/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;