STORY: "Convicted killer will get a new trial," by reporter Thomas Clouse, published in the Spokesman-Review (Spokane) on July 26, 2012. (Thanks to the Wrongful Convictions Blog for drawing our attention to this case which we will now follow);
GIST: "Jeramie R. Davis continues to serve a nearly 40-year sentence for murder despite DNA evidence that raises questions about his guilt on the charge. A judge today granted the request for a new trial of a man convicted four years ago of the 2007 beating death of an adult bookstore owner in Spokane following the conviction two weeks ago of another man for the same crime. Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt granted the request to hold a new trial for Jeramie R. Davis, 41, who was sentenced in 2008 to 40 years in prison for the first-degree murder of 74-year-old John G. “Jack” Allen, who was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat inside his store on East Sprague Avenue. What remains unclear is whether Sypolt will vacate Davis’ conviction, Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Dale Nagy said.........When a jury convicted Davis in 2008, Nagy told the jury to disregard the fact that DNA on baseball bat used to bludgeon Allen to death did not come back to Davis. Last year, that DNA evidence was again processed by the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory and this time it came back to a match to 46-year-old Julio J. Davila. That prompted Nagy to charge Davila under the theory, according to court records, that he worked with Davis.........Later, when the DNA linked the crime to Davila, both he and Davis denied knowing each other. Then Detective Tim Madsen submitted a new report on June 19 which questioned whether Davis had been wrongly convicted of the murder. “Mr. Davis denied knowing or having any involvement with Julio Davila,” Madsen wrote in the court record. “Mr. Davis maintains he was innocent of the murder of John Allen - the new evidence may make Mr. Davis’ claims more plausible.”
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jul/26/judge-orders-new-trial-convicted-killer/PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I am monitoring this case. 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/charlessmithInformation 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.htmlPlease send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
