Thursday, October 31, 2013

Bulletin: Kendrick Johnson; Major development: U.S. Federal government commits to investigating his death, which authorities in Georgia have called a freak accident. "My objective is to discover the truth," says U.S. Attorney Michael Moore. NBC News.


STORY: "Feds to investigate mysterious death of Georgia teen Kendrick Johnson,"  by reporters Gabe Gutierrez and Jeff Black, published by NBC News on October 31, 2013.

GIST:  "Federal investigators will probe the strange death of Georgia teen Kendrick Johnson, whose body was found rolled up in a gym mat at his high school in January, they announced Thursday. U.S. Attorney Michael Moore said in a news conference in Macon, Ga., that the FBI and federal prosecutors were now involved in the case, which the local sheriff had closed — calling it a a freak accident. Johnson’s parents, however, have said they suspect their 17-year-old son was murdered and have waged a public battle to reopen the case, alleging a cover-up by local officials. "I am of the opinion that a sufficient basis exists for my office to conduct a formal review of the facts and investigation surrounding the death of Kendrick Johnson," Moore said on Thursday. "My objective is to discover the truth, and I believe that can only be done by gathering all of the relevant information surrounding Mr. Johnson's death," he said, adding that federal jurisdiction is limited in the case."

The entire story can be found at:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/31/21265264-feds-to-investigate-mysterious-death-of-georgia-teen-kendrick-johnson

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Bulletin: Amanda Knox; ABC News reports that the defence got a boost today when forensic tests on a knife that Italian prosecutors claim was used to kill roomate Meredith Kercher ruled out that Kercher's DNA could be in the spot that was newly tested. Reporter Phoebe Natanson.


STORY: "Amanda Knox forensic tests do not find victim's DNA on knife spot," by reporter Phoebe Natanson, published by ABC News News on October 31, 2013.

GIST:  "Amanda Knox's legal defense got a boost today when forensic tests on a knife that Italian prosecutors claim was used to kill roommate Meredith Kercher ruled out that Kercher's DNA could be in the spot that was newly tested. The latest tests check a minute spot -- called a trace -- on the knife where the handle meets the blade, but prosecutors are expected to argue that another trace on the knife which was previously tested indicate the presence of Kercher's DNA. Knox's defense lawyer Luciano Ghirga said these new tests "pushes even further away the possibility that this was the murder weapon." The next hearing in the trial is scheduled for Nov. 6 when the forensic police experts will report on their findings. Their written conclusions were filed in the Florence court today. Italian news agency ANSA is reporting that the tests found the "presence of a extremely small quantity of genetic matter which could derive from one or more female profiles." In earlier leaked reports, the test had previously determined that Knox's DNA was likely in the trace. But according to the forensic experts comparative tests "led to the exclusion of the presence of any genetic matter belonging to Meredith Kercher... on the DNA trace being tested." The knife was retrieved by investigators from the kitchen of Knox's boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Knox and Sollecito were both charged and convicted of killing Kercher in November 2007. They spent four years in prison before an appeals court threw out the conviction in 2011.
The entire story can be found at:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/amanda-knox-forensic-tests-find-victims-dna-knife/story?id=20738813

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Kendrick Johnson : Update; Judge releases school surveillance video footage and will announce Monday whether an inquest is to be ordered. Family's lawyer calls it "a real-life murder mystery." Crimesider; CBS News.


STORY: "Kendrick Johnson update: "It's a real-life murder mystery," atty Benjamin Crump says of Ga. teen's gym mat death," by reporter Stephanie Slifer, published  by CNN on October 31, 2013.

 GIST:  "Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing the family of a Georgia teen who was found dead inside a rolled-up wrestling mat in his high school gym in January, says the judge's decision to release school surveillance video connected to the case is a "major victory." "That was a major victory for Kendrick Johnson's family and for the community who stood on corners [protesting] for nine months," Crump, the high-profile attorney who represented Trayvon Martin's family, told CBS News' Crimesider on Wednesday.  Crump explained that, despite an objection by the sheriff, the judge made the decision to release not only video surveillance from inside the gym on the day Johnson was found dead, but also the video surveillance of the whole school from Jan. 10, 2013, the day Johnson went missing, until Jan. 11, when he was found..........The judge also said Wednesday that a decision will be made on Monday regarding the Johnson family's request for a coroner's inquest, according to Crump......... "It's a real-life murder mystery," Crump said. "It defies all logic, the rules of science and common sense that a 17-year-old athlete would climb into a wrestling mat and get stuck trying to get a tennis shoe and stop breathing. What's more likely is that someone rolled him up in that mat." He said the fact that Johnson's organs were determined to be missing just adds to the mystery. Crump said he has not received any explanation as to what happened to the teen's organs. "That's a part of the murder mystery, too," Crump said. "The fact that his organs are missing, his clothes that had DNA and blood evidence are missing, his fingernails are missing. All of this is missing and it just substantiates the belief that this was not an accident.""

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57610111-504083/kendrick-johnson-update-its-a-real-life-murder-mystery-atty-benjamin-crump-says-of-ga-teens-gym-mat-death/

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;  

David Camm: Aftermath 7: Camm case seen as "An embarrassment to forensic science." Jim Fisher: author of a book which asks ''Are bad science and dueling experts corrupting criminal justice looks at "Dueling experts in the David Camm case." (Must Read. HL);


COMMENTARY:  "Dueling experts in the David Camm case," by Jim Fisher, published on October 30, 2013.  Jim Fisher is the author of : "Forensics under fire: Are bad science and dueling experts corrupting criminal justice? (Rutgers, 2008); The post appears on his "Jim Fisher True Crime Blog);

GIST: " On Thursday, October 24, 2013, after thirty-one days of testimony, the jury of eight women and four men found David Camm not guilty. The defendant's thirteen-year criminal justice ordeal, involving three murder trials, had finally come to an end. The state of Indiana had spent millions of dollars in a failed attempt to acquire a murder conviction in an obviously flawed case. Sometimes prosecutors just don't know when to quit. Moreover, the David Camm case, featuring dueling experts in blood spatter interpretation, is an embarrassment to forensic science. Blood spatter analysis, while perhaps an investigative tool, is not a science and shouldn't be presented as such in a court of law."

The entire post can be found at:

 http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.ca/

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;  


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Bulletin; Annie Dookhan: Change of plea hearing set for November 22, 2013. It is anticipated that she will plead guilty to obstruction and evidence tampering and face a sentence no longer than five years. CBS. Boston.


STORY: "Mass. chemist expected to plead guilty next month," published by CBS on  October 30, 2013;

GIST: "A change of plea hearing for the chemist accused of botching evidence at the now closed state drug lab has been formally set for next month. Annie Dookhan will appear in court November 22, and is expected to plead guilty in a scandal that’s jeopardized thousands of drug cases......... If Dookhan pleads guilty to obstruction and evidence tampering, a judge has said she wouldn’t impose a sentence of more than 3-to-5 years."

The entire story can be found at:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/10/30/mass-chemist-expected-to-plead-guilty-next-month/ 

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:


hlevy15@gmail.com.

Nicole Kish: Ontario's highest court tustles with an issue which could be said to be right out of an Agatha Christie novel - if it wasn't at the heart of a second-degree murder appeal: Which woman was holding the knife? Toronto Star.


STORY:   "Panhandler's friend may have stabbed man in brawl, court told: Panhandler convicted of second-degree murder in Toronto stabbing of a St. Catherines man may have been mistaken for another woman an appeal court hear Tuesday," by reporter Alyshah Hasham, published by the Toronto Star on October 29, 2013.

GIST: "Which woman was holding the knife? Was it Nicole Kish, a panhandler convicted of second-degree murder in the Toronto stabbing of a St. Catharines man? Or was it her friend Faith Watts, who was also present at the scene? That’s the question at the heart of Kish’s appeal of her conviction, lawyer Philip Campbell told the Ontario Court of Appeal Tuesday. Campbell said Kish, now 27, could have been confused for the similar-looking Watts in the chaotic 2007 street brawl that resulted in the death of Ross Hammond. Kish is currently serving a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 12 years. She has always maintained she is innocent. The Hamilton native’s case has been taken up by Injustice Anywhere, an organization dedicated to fighting wrongful convictions.".........The decision of the three justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal was reserved."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/10/29/panhandlers_friend_may_have_stabbed_man_to_death_in_brawl_appeal_court_told.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;  

Charles Smith: The Toronto Star takes a look at what has happened in the five year and one month since Justice Stephen Goudge lambasted the state of forensic pediatric pathology in Ontario in his report on the public inquiry he conducted into flawed child death investigations done by the name-sake of this Blog - the former Dr. Charles Randal Smith.


Publisher's view: Around the fifth anniversary of Justice Stephen Goudge's report into Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system (September  30, 2008) there are some positives and one  glaring negative to report. On the positive side, as the Toronto Star story that is the subject of this post points out, Dr. Pollanen has instilled into child death investigations in the province a philosophy of "thinking truth" rather than "thinking dirty. Dr. Pollanen played a huge role in toppling Smith from his haughty throne  - and helping people who had been wrongfully charged and convicted as a result of Smith being exonerated by the Ontario Court of  Appeal. The article suggests that the Chief Coroner's Office  has become a transparent body - making it a far cry from the devious, secretive body that it was during the years that it was covering up for Charles Smith, along with the disciplinary body of the medical profession in Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons.  I have seen nothing to contradict this assertion and truly hope that such is the case. I have also heard that the Ontario Attorney General's Office has put procedures in place to ensure that there is a thorough review of suspicious child deaths throughout the province before criminal charges are laid. This also is an important step in the right direction. Certainly, the Smith debacle has, at least for the time being, taught all of the actors in the  criminal justice system of the need to avoid being sucked in by pseudo "experts" such as Smith - and of the need to acquire real  factual evidence  of criminal guilt - rather than relying strictly on a pathologist's expert opinion.  These  improvement, including many others which arose from Justice Goudge's excellent public Inquiry, are worth applauding.   The glaring negative is that Charles Smith was never brought to account in the criminal courts. So many innocent grieving  parents and caregivers went to prison for years as child killers because of  the murder which existed only in his head - yet he has not gone to jail for a single day - in spite of his lies both inside out of court,  his prejudice against people who did not fit in with his "Christian" standards,  and his manipulation of the criminal justice system to  ensure that people who he did not like were convicted of the most serious crimes.  Today (Wednesday October 30, 2013) is the day that former Massachusetts  lab technician Annie Dookhan is expected to indicate that she plans to change her not guilty pleas in relation to hundreds of cases where she certified that exhibits contained illicit drugs without even testing them. Annie Dookhan has been forced to answer for her actions in the criminal courts - and faces as many as five years behind bars.  That's the way it should be.  In sheer contrast,  the Ontario government has allowed Smith to fade into  the sunset with complete and utter immunity from prosecution - even though innocent persons spent years in prison as murderers and lost their surviving children  forever to the Child Welfare process because of their convictions. I suspect, the  government was more concerned with keeping the file on Smith tightly closed, rather than bringing Smith to account in the criminal courts - a process which would once again expose the government's complicity in allowing  Smith to exercise so much power in the criminal justice system - and to ruin  so many innocent  lives. 

Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

STORY: "Ontario's forensic pathologists better equipped in 'search for truth'; Five years after Goudge Inquiry into Charles Smith, Ontario boasts a well-trained , accountable death investigation system," by reporter Jennifer Pagliaro, published by the Toronto Star on October 28, 2013.

GIST: "It’s been five years since Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Stephen Goudge lambasted forensic pathology’s state of affairs in the wake of the inquiry into flawed child death investigations done by former Sick Kids pediatric pathologist Dr. Charles Smith. Since then, Pollanen, 45, has been tasked with building the service from the rubble.........After joining the staff at the former Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit in 2003, Pollanen implemented crucial autopsy guidelines in 2005 and would take the helm as chief forensic pathologist in 2006 as allegations about Smith’s work were starting to boil over. Pollanen would be key to reversing judgments in several wrongful convictions, in the review of Smith’s work and moving the service toward an evidence-based approach. Unlike the methodology used by Smith, which incorporated anecdotal evidence about those accused and was condemned by Goudge in his report, Pollanen said it is not their job to make judgments on who could have inflicted that trauma. They’re simply the voice of the body as a “silent witness,” he said.........Since the Goudge report and inquiry into Smith’s work picked apart the failure to question and criticize his work, there is now legislated attention to oversight — including the creation of a provincial Death Investigation Oversight Council in 2010 and mandatory peer review of all criminally suspicious deaths......... Changes continue to roll out in the wake of Goudge’s report — a “culture of accountability” Pollanen said he embraces. This summer Community Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur announced forensic pathologists would take on the coroner’s role in determining cause of death in cases of homicide or suspicious death — some 250 cases annually. In those cases, where pathologists can be called to testify about their findings, Pollanen sees it as an opportunity to earn the public’s trust for the knowledge they can share."
The entire story can be found at:

 http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/10/28/ontarios_forensic_pathologists_better_equipped_in_search_for_truth.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;  

David Camm: Aftermath 6: "Free in Kentucky," Louisville criminal defence lawyer Greg Simms gives his explanation of the not guilty verdicts. While acknowledging the controversy over the so-called "blood-splatter" evidence, he says "the fact that Charles Bonay was already convicted of the killings was enough evidence, alone, to provide reasonable doubt to the Camm murder case."


COMMENTARY: "Free in Kentucky: This is why David Camm is not guilty" by Louisville criminal defence lawyer Greg Simms, published on October 27, 2013.

GIST: "Part of the reason he was arrested (three days after the family was murdered) was because Camm had blood on his clothing.  However, Camm’s story was consistent with having some blood on his clothing.  Which conveniently brings us to blood spatter evidence - which happens to be my next numerical paragraph (this is called a transition sentence). Blood Spatter Evidence doesn’t help anyone.  On either side.  Aside from the testomy of Boney, the other big piece of evidence was blood spatter analysis.  In fact, some people following the third Camm trial believed that the entire result would hinge on blood stain pattern analysis.  If you looked at the stains on Camm’s clothing and believed that they were “high velocity impact spatter” then you would believe that it was the result of blood “mist” that is present after a victim is shot with a gun.  Supposedly, this type of blood spatter travels up to about four feet.  But if you believed the blood on Camm was the result of “contact stains” then you would believe that the blood pattern is consistent with Camm’s statements that he made contact with the bodies themselves.  Or you could just believe that blood spatter analysis is hokum, and that the “experts” just make it up as they go along.  Either way it isn’t proof beyond a reasonable doubt.........The fact that Charles Boney was already convicted of the killings was enough evidence, alone, to provide reasonable doubt in the Camm Murder case."

The entire commentary can be found at:

http://freeinkentucky.blogspot.ca/2013/10/this-is-why-david-camm-is-not-guilty.html?spref=bl

For a  somewhat contrary point of view, see the Colorado Independent story in which the new "touch DNA' technique developed  Dutch DNA experts Richard and Selma Eikelenboom are presented as playing a significant role in the acquittal. (It is hard to know exactly what influenced the jury in the absence of post-trial statements by jurors. HL). "Indiana’s state lab had found “inconclusive” the results of DNA traces scraped from Camm’s wife Kim’s fingernails. The Eikelenbooms, who are pioneers in the field of touch DNA, linked the traces to a man named Charles Boney, who was at the family’s home the day of the killings and testified that he sold David Camm the gun used in the shootings. The Eikelenbooms also found Boney’s DNA on Kim’s shirt and underwear and on the clothing of the children. Boney claims he never touched them. The couple’s analysis of the 13-year-old evidence was key to overturning Camm’s conviction. “It’s very likely that this was one of the major parts that got him off,” Selma Eikelenboom said."

 http://www.coloradoindependent.com/144633/dutch-dna-duo-helps-free-another-innocent-man-2

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com; 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

David Camm: Aftermath 5: (Indiana); His lawyer's see the not guilty verdicts as "nothing more than a complete vindication" - and ask why prosecutors did not heed warnings that they were going down the wrong track. The Lebanon Reporter.


STORY: "Verdict is vindication, Camm lawyer declares," by reporter Jerod Clapp, published by the Lebanon Reporter on October 25, 2013.

GIST: David Camm  today is free for the first time in 13 years of allegations he killed his family, and that, said his lawyers should be seen as more than a not guilty verdict. "This needs to be seen as a vindication of David," co-defence counsel Richard Kamen said.  A jury took about ten hours to decide that Camm was not guilty of shooting his wife, Kim,  and their children, Bradley and Jill, in their Georgetown, Ind., home in September 2000. The brief deliberation "is nothing more than complete vindication of David Kamm," Kammen said. "I hope that the viewers, especially the people in South Indiana, really understand that, this man has been innocent and has been wrongly accused for thirteen years.".........This is a vindication of our appellate court and our supreme court for doing the right thing," defence counsel Stacy Uliana said. Camm's forst words to his lawyers were "thank you," Kammen said. "He said 'thank you' to the jury "Uliana said, "because they had a lot of courage; it takes a lot of courage to stand up to the state of Indiana  and thirteen years." It should have been obvious to the prosecution that they were chasing a phantom suspect, Kammen said, but instead investigators wasted their time focusing on Camm. "Charles Bonay committed these murders," Kammen said. "Had he been discovered prior to (Camm's) first trial. Let's be honest, if they interrogate (Bonay) as a suspect, the odds are you'd have seen the state of Indiana versus Charles Bonay in 2002, rather than in 2005.".........Camm should not be blamed for his staggering court costs, Uliana said. "I know it's  cost the taxpayers of Floyd County a lot of money, but it's simply because those in charge couldn't admit they made a mistake." "They need to look at the prosecutors and those who've been in charge, and who have continually gone down the wrong path, when people have told them over and over again,  "you're going in the wrong direction."

The entire story can be found at:

http://reporter.net/local/x862192157/Verdict-is-vindication-Camm-lawyer-declares

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;





















What was the difference between this and the two other trials, the father and sister were asked.

“It was a courtroom where only truth could be shared with the jury,” Blankenbaker sai
Lockhart took in the number of TV cameras, microphones and voice recorders thrust at him.

“I’ve had this dream before,” he said. “I hope you guys are real.”

• Jerod Clapp and Matt Koesters of the News and Tribune contributed to this story.
- See more at: http://reporter.net/local/x862192157/Verdict-is-vindication-Camm-lawyer-declares#sthash.vH4ffJXo.dpuf



Monday, October 28, 2013

Bulletin: Gerard Richardson: The bite-mark conviction has been overturned - but he remains on the hook. The Townsquare News Network; (Publisher's view: This case draws so-called "bite-mark evidence" into even deeper disrepute. He cannot be fully exonerated (and released from judicial control) soon enough. HL);


STORY: "Somerset bite-mark conviction overturned," published by the Townsquare News Network on October 28, 2013.

GIST:' "Gerard Richardson was granted his release on $5,000 bail, though he won’t be freed for a few days. He had appealed his conviction in the murder of 19-year-old Monica Reyes, whose body was found in a ditch in Bernards Township in north-central New Jersey in February 1994. The Somerset County prosecutor’s office allowed Richardson’s release, even though it has not dismissed the charges against him. Richardson’s attorneys say DNA testing shows a bite mark left on the victim’s back is from another man. Prosecutors cited the DNA evidence in their decision to allow the conviction to be reversed. The bite mark was the primary physical evidence against Richardson at his trial. A prosecution expert testified that the mark came from Richardson, and Richardson also allegedly had threatened Reyes over $90 she owed him over a drug deal. After years of appeals, a recent court-ordered DNA test requested by the Innocence Project revealed that the mark contained the DNA of a different male who has not been identified. Bite-mark evidence has been criticized by defense attorneys as unreliable and an example of “junk science.” A 2013 analysis by The Associated Press found that at least two dozen men charged with or convicted of rape or murder based on bite-mark evidence since 2000 had been exonerated, including some who had spent more than 10 years in prison. Proponents of the method say it’s been used to convict violent criminals such as serial killer Ted Bundy.........Richardson wouldn’t have been eligible for parole until May 2025, according to the state Department of Corrections’ online database.

The entire story can be  found at:

http://nj1015.com/somerset-bite-mark-conviction-overturned/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;  

Bulletin: Annie Dookhan: She is due back in court on Wednesday: October 30, 2013.










STORY: Mass. chemist in drug lab scandal due in court," published by AP on October 28, 2013.

GIST:  "The state chemist at the center of the drug lab scandal that led to more than 1,000 criminal cases being dismissed or not prosecuted is due back in court. Annie Dookhan is facing a long list of criminal charges, including tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and perjury for allegedly faking test results. Dookhan is due back in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday. Last week the judge hearing the case said she won’t impose a sentence of more than three to five years if Dookhan pleads guilty. Prosecutors are seeking up to seven years in return for a guilty plea. Dookhan’s lawyer has asked for leniency."
The entire story can be found at:

 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/10/28/mass-chemist-drug-lab-scandal-due-court/ERMXLyrUctRzneMus4ag2N/story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com; 

Arson "science." Dallas News weighs in against West Texas District Attorney's attempt to block old arson cases where modern science casts new light on expert testimony used to convict people. (Must Read. HL);


EDITORIAL: "Looking for trouble in past arson cases," published by the Dallas News on October 25, 2013.

GIST:  "Don’t go looking for trouble where bad arson convictions are concerned. That’s the gist of a West Texas district attorney’s request to Attorney General Greg Abbott — essentially a request for roadblocks to analyzing old arson cases where modern science casts new light on expert testimony used to convict people. Problem is, the trouble can’t hide. It’s already clear that the justice system has allowed junk science into Texas courtrooms. It would be a travesty to turn a blind eye to the injustice that has caused, and Abbott should not be a party to it......... It doesn’t become the district attorney to try to build a wall against the truth. Opponents of the Willingham inquiry tried that, and the Forensic Science Commission refused to wear the muzzle. It’s a credit to Connealy that he is taking seriously the duty to correct. This year, state lawmakers struck two more blows for modernized forensic standards. One, they clarified the Forensic Science Commission’s authority to pursue arson cases. Two, they passed a law to give appeals courts new rationale to overturn convictions secured through outmoded forensic work. Through the court system, the state wields awesome power over an individual’s liberties. There should be no tolerance for any vestiges of junk science to remain in the state’s legal arsenal."

The entire editorial can be found at:

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20131025-editorial-looking-for-trouble-in-past-arson-cases.ece?nclick_check=1

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

David Camm: Aftermath 4: Why the Camm case illustrates problems with the American justice system; Professor Shawn Boyne; McKinney Law School, University of Indiana;


COMMENTARY: "David Camm trial illustrates problems with the American justice system," by  Shawn Boyne, published by The Indianapolis Star on October 25, 2013.  (Shawn Boyne is a professor of law with the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.)

GIST: "More than 12 years after Charles Boney fatally shot Kimberly, Brad and Jill Camm, a jury has set former state trooper, David Camm, free from prison. In her closing argument, Stacy Uliana, one of Camm’s defense attorneys, claimed that “the state is trying to tell you a story.” The question remains, what kind of story did the state try and tell in this case and did that “story” serve the cause of justice. While I’m sure, that after spending over a decade in prison, Camm does not feel like a “lucky” man, in many ways, he is. Most individuals in his predicament, whether innocent or guilty, would have “confessed” and pled guilty. The “modern” American system is set up just to accomplish that result.........The fact that David Camm stuck to his claim of innocence and refused to plea is an anomaly in the present day where the disparities in resources and the inherent coerciveness of the system work to produce plea agreements.........Yet, juries too, may be an imperfect diving rod. Especially if, as in the first two trials for Camm, judges allow jurors to hear specious claims of motive designed to paint the defendant with a broad stroke of guilt and moral condemnation and overcome a lack of physical evidence. I cannot say with certainty that Camm is innocent, but I can say that the state overreached in the first two trials and that overreaching did not serve the cause of justice.While the Camm acquittal may be one small step forward for the cause of justice, as a country, all too often we short-circuit the truth-finding process."
The entire commentary can be found at:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20131025/OPINION03/310250042/David-Camm-trial-illustrates-problems-American-justice-system

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

Sunday, October 27, 2013

David Camm: Aftermath 3: Damning information about the prosecution which never reached the jury (which acquitted Camm anyway); "Letter of complaint" - The David Camm Blog;


PUBLISHER'S VIEW (EDITORIAL); During a lunch break in the trial, a prosecutor threatens the DNA who is still on the stand. He begins cursing, suggest that her job will be in jeopardy if she doesn't cooperate, attempts to get her to say things which go beyond science - and  threatens to charge her with a felony.  The scenario is not out of a John Grisham novel.  It  is alleged to have played out during  David Camm's first trial - and became an issue in his third trial, which just concluded with not guilty verdicts. The good news is that Lynn Scamahorn, the analyst, says she refused to be intimidated, and reported the alleged  threats in a letter of complaint against prosecutor Stan Faith. That takes courage, strong character  and professionalism. If these allegations prove to be true,  it's fair to ask what if another analyst had lacked these qualities and succumbed to such  ugly threats to their freedom and job security?  These alleged  threats colour the entire prosecution - all three trials. The record already shows that prosecutors  attempted to stack the forensic deck by using  Robert Stites - a man with scarcely any experience with blood splatter evidence (labelled a "fraud" by the defence) to help secure convictions. Throw in the fact that they tried to have Camm convicted because of factors later found by the appeal courts to have no bearing on the case (allegations of marital infidelity and child abuse), and you are  left with an ill-motivated, hollow prosecution of an innocent man. Travis Kircher writes:  In the end, Judge Jonathan Dartt decided against admitting the evidence, stating that while he doesn't condone the alleged actions of Faith, he said it was a fight "that will be left for another day." That day cannot come too soon."

Harold Levy. Publisher. The Charles Smith Blog.

STORY: "Janice Renn testifies," posted by Travis Kircher on his "David Camm Blog" on September 3, 2013 - published by WDBR;  (He reports a hearing in the absence of the jury given  at the trial by Lynn Scamahorn, a former DNA analyst for the Indiana State Police);

GIST:  Sub-heading: "A letter of complaint); "A few minutes later, the jury was excused for lunch. But the attorneys weren't done. After the jury left, Scamahorn remained on the stand and the attorneys discussed a matter the jurors would never hear. Uliana presented Scamahorn with a document and asked her to describe it. "It's a letter that I wrote regarding the first trial and the prosecutor," she said. Scamahorn said that the first prosecutor – Stan Faith – called her into a private meeting in his office during a break from her testimony in the first trial. He then allegedly demanded that Scamahorn testify that she found David Camm's DNA on the mysterious gray sweatshirt that, years later, would be traced to Boney. Scamahorn said she couldn't do this because the facts didn't back it up. "He was not pleasant, I would say," Scamahorn said. "He cursed at you?" Uliana asked. "Yes." "And he wanted you to say things that you felt were beyond science?" Uliana asked. "Yes," Scamahorn said, adding, "he was very much not happy with me." Scamahorn said Faith threatened to contact her superiors and that it was "definitely implied" that her job was being threatened. She also said Faith threatened to charge her with obstruction of justice if she didn't testify to what he wanted. Uliana asked if she thought Faith was trying to wrongfully influence her to testify to facts that were beyond science. "Possibly. Possibly. Yeah." "He did threaten your job," Uliana said. "That is true." "And he did threaten to charge you with a felony," Uliana added. "That is true," Scamahorn replied. Moments later, Special Prosecutor Stan Levco rose to address Scamahorn. He asked her what effect Faith's actions had on her testimony in THIS trial. "No effect on my testimony," Scamahorn said. He then asked if he (Levco) or anyone else on the current prosecution team had ever threatened her in any way. "No," Scamahorn smiled. "Not at all." Uliana then asked the judge to allow the testimony and evidence related to Faith's alleged actions to be submitted to the jury when they came back from lunch. "This has nothing to do with Ms. Scamahorn's credibility," Uliana said. "This shows tunnel vision at best," and "a win-at-all-costs mentality at worst." "It goes to the credibility of the other analysts in this case…the ones that will go beyond the science," she said. Levco countered: "I don't think it proves anything as to whether David Camm is guilty in this case." In the end, Judge Jonathan Dartt decided against admitting the evidence, stating that while he doesn't condone the alleged actions of Faith, he said it was a fight "that will be left for another day.""

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.wdrb.com/story/23330738/david-camm-blog-janice-renn-testifies

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Saturday, October 26, 2013

David Camm: Aftermath 2; How police and prosecutors transformed Robert Stites from crime scene photographer to renowned blood splatter expert in their closed-minded, tunnel-vision oriented desperate bid to pin the murders of his family on him; Justice for David Camm);


PUBLISHER'S VIEW: (EDITORIAL);  One of the most significant moments in the trial, my view,  as a former criminal lawyer, was the prosecution's request to the jury to disregard the so-called "expert" testimony given for the prosecution by photographer Robert Stites.  Journalist Travis Kircher honed in on this in his "David Camm Blog, as follows:  "Defence lawyer Stacy Uliana's closing argument: "She said the State of Indiana's decision to arrest David Camm was based on the findings of Rob Stites, a photographer who visited the crime scene, whom she said was posing as a blood stain expert and was "nothing short of a fraud." Special prosecutor Stan Levco: On rebuttal; "As for Robert Stites, the "fraud" the defense team said was   posing as a blood stain pattern analyst, Levco said the jury should disregard his findings, as the prosecution's case wasn't dependent on them." It must have been very painful for Levco to have to repudiate the evidence of  the key witness, whose  so-called "expert" findings had allowed the prosecution to make an arrest - especially when this has to be done on rebuttal to the defence lawyer's allegation that Stites was "nothing short of a fraud." The fact that the police and prosecution had stood behind  this allegedly fraudulent expert until the State was backed into a corner during the closing arguments - at the very end of the trial -  shows how desperate the State was to get a conviction in the absence of compelling factual  evidence -   and provides an example of how the police investigation had been bungled from the outset -  and kept going down hill thereafter.  The following post from "Justice for David Camm"  sheds more light on the manner in which the police and prosecutors transformed Robert Stites  from crime scene photographer to  renowned blood splatter expert in order to ensnare  David Camm.

Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

POST: "Original blood splatter expert,"  published by "Justice for David Camm."

GIST: "Nonetheless, at the Camm residence Stites was accepted at the crime scene as the expert he was held out to be. Indeed, Sammy Sarkisian referred to Stites as the "expert from Oregon" and Mickey Neal later told Dave that Stites was a "man who does this for a living" and also that he was "renowned as far as his expertise." Neal also added, prophetically, "This is not something he just started to do yesterday" when he confronted Dave on October 1st about Stites' expert findings. While Stites was at the crime scene, so was Evidence Technician Jim Niemeyer. Niemeyer was also told that Stites was a blood spatter expert and saw firsthand that Stites was taking control of the crime scene on that Saturday. Also at the crime scene were the prosecutor's investigators who were there at Stan Faith's direction. Niemeyer didn't particularly care for the fact that Prosecutor Faith was taking control of the crime scene, but as he later testified, he "assumed that it was his (Faith's) procedure." He also added that he had never seen an outside expert brought in to a case as quickly as Stites. Niemeyer also made an astute statement during Dave's second trial. Niemeyer, as an Evidence Technician, only had the 40 hour introductory, elementary course on blood stain pattern interpretation. He didn't hold himself out to be any type of analyst and didn't engage in providing any blood stain interpretation. Why? Because, Niemeyer explained, to do so would be "enough to make me dangerous." Niemeyer knew the limits of his expertise and it didn't include blood stain interpretation. Nonetheless, Stites quickly took center stage and began taking a voluminous amount of photographs......... If Robert Stites, who was the primary source of the first three and then two other paragraphs of the probable cause affidavit (paragraphs 1-5 above) and also was the individual whom he claimed to be, then his observations and assertions would be of immense importance. The reverse would also be true, however. If Stites wasn't whom he claimed to be, and he wasn't a renowned blood spatter and crime re-constructionist expert, then his observations and assertions should be meaningless. In fact, Stites wasn't a blood stain pattern analyst. He had never even taken the 40 hour elementary course that Jim Niemeyer said would be enough to make him "dangerous." Stites was from Oregon but he wasn't an expert and he wasn't "renowned as far as his expertise." He had no BSPA expertise. As to him being a crime scene re-constructionist as claimed in the probable cause affidavit? That too was bogus. Stites had never before investigated a homicide or even collected evidence at a homicide scene. Stites had no experience as an evidence technician and had never testified as an expert in either blood stain pattern analysis or as a crime scene re-constructionist. He later claimed that his only assignment at the Camm crime scene was to take notes and photographs in preparation for Englert. He also claimed that he didn't know that his observations and conclusions would form a major part of the probable cause affidavit which resulted in the arrest of David Camm......... Stites made some other startling admissions years later and under oath. He wasn't enrolled in a PhD program in fluid dynamics as he had previously testified and wasn't even enrolled in any type of master's program. In fact, he hadn't taken any college classes in the nine years before his first testimony in 2002. He also had flunked general chemistry and hadn't taken any physics classes even though he taught physics. Stites also claimed that he and Clemons were merely "brainstorming" prior to Dave's arrest and that he was later surprised when he found out that his observations were in the affidavit. Robert Stites, who was at the scene to just document and photograph nonetheless charged $250.00 per hour for his expert opinions. The prosecutor's office paid him almost $25,000 and yet he was a fraud when it came to being a blood stain expert and crime scene re-constructionist. In other cases the prosecution might bring forth charges, but with Stites, they brought him forth for his testimony. It was only years later when the truth about his "credentials" was finally discovered by the defense during a deposition of Stites in Portland, Oregon. Robert Stites. He was the blood spatter expert who wasn't. He was the crime scene re-constructionist who wasn't. He was the man whose opinions and observations formed a major part of a probable cause affidavit which formed the basis for the arrest of David Camm which charged him with the murder of his family. Sean Clemons, in later testimony, acknowledged that he later found out that Stites hadn't taken the basic 40 hour course in analyzing blood stains, had never processed a homicide scene and had never testified as an expert before. After finding out those facts about Stites, what was Detective Clemons' reaction? He said that he would still have relied upon him.""

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.justicefordavidcamm.com/pages/original_investigation/spatter_expert.shtml

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Nicole Kish: Is she Canada's Amanda Knox? Convicted of second degree murder for stabbing internet marketer Ross Hammond to death in 2007, her appeal is set for Tuesday October 29, 2013. Lawyer Phil Campbell, argues in court documents that1 the DNA evidence points to someone else. Reporter Michelle Mandel; Toronto Sun.


STORY: "Nicole Kish's appeal in Ross Hammond 2007 murder to be heard later this month," by reporter Michelle Mandel, published by the Toronto Sun on October 10, 2013.

GIST:  "To her legion of international supporters, “panhandler” Nicole Kish is the Canadian equivalent of Amanda Knox. Like the American student, they insist Kish has been unfairly portrayed in the media and wrongly convicted of murder. And they’re hoping her long-awaited appeal later this month will finally set her free after more than two difficult years in prison... “There was a significant hole in the Crown’s case,” argues her lawyer Phil Campbell in his factum filed with the Court of Appeal. “No one saw her — or anyone else — with a knife during the fight on the north side of Queen St. where the Crown alleged that Hammond suffered the fatal wounds.” He contends the verdict was unreasonable: the eyewitness testimony was all over the map with many mistaking Kish for her lookalike friend Faith Watts, an American who admitted producing a knife in the altercation but said she’d blacked out and couldn’t remember what happened. Hammond’s buddy had even identified Watts out of a photo lineup as the angry woman who’d asked them for cash. “Watts and (Kish) were dressed in a similar punk style, and witnesses could easily have confused one for the other,” Campbell writes in his factum. “Numerous deposits of Hammond’s DNA were located on Watts’s clothing, including the shafts of her boots and the back of her shorts, while only a small speck of his DNA was found on the rubber toe cap of the Appellant’s shoe,” he tells the appeal court.  “It is difficult to see how (Kish), flailing wildly atop Hammond on the north side of the street, while stabbing him four times in the chest, would have received only a single, tiny deposit on her shoe.”
Watts has not had an opportunity to respond to the factum Kish’s legal team has filed nor have any of the allegations contained in it been proven in court."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/10/nicole-kishs-appeal-in-ross-hammond-2007-murder-to-be-heard-later-this-month
  
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Friday, October 25, 2013

David Camm: Aftermath (1): "The exclusive interview." WLKY; Conducted by investigative reporter Duane Pohlman, The four part interview, described as the only interview granted by Camm to a local journalist, was broadcast in July, 2012 while Camm was preparing for his third murder trial. (Must See - especially in the context of the acquittals. HL);


STORY: "David Camm: The Exclusive Interview," published by WLKY on October 25, 2013; (The interview, conducted by investigative reporter Duane Pohlman, is described as the only interview granted by Camm to a local journalist. It is in four parts and was broadcast in July 2012 while Camm was preparing for his third murder trial.)

GIST: " David Camm said he still feels betrayed by his fellow Indiana State Troopers, who quickly viewed Camm as a suspect, rather than a former colleague, following the discovery of Camm’s murdered wife and children more than a decade ago...The interview follows in four parts: Part One:  In Part 1, Camm talks about feelings of betrayal, as well as his life as a former trooper behind bars.
From extramarital affairs to allegations of sexually abusing his daughter shortly before the murders, sex has been at the center of David Camm’s two murder trials. The allegations have also been the reason both the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court have overturned his two convictions.
In Part 2 of WLKY’s exclusive interview, WLKY Investigative Reporter Duane Pohlman asks direct questions about those allegations that linger in the “court of public opinion.” And Camm cries, while talking about dreams of his murdered family. Part two:  David Camm makes a bold prediction: He will be found not guilty if the case remains focused on the facts. In this third part of an exclusive interview with WLKY’s Investigative Reporter Duane Pohlman, a confident Camm says there are serious questions about the evidence at the center of his case. Part Three:  While David Camm was emotional during parts of the interview, he was animated and agitated by one name: Charles Boney, the criminal who fingered Camm as the murderer. Camm calls Boney a “coward” who is the real killer, the man who murdered his family. In this final part of WLKY’s exclusive interview, David Camm also describes the day he confronted Boney behind bars. Part Four:  While David Camm was emotional during parts of the interview, he was animated and agitated by one name: Charles Boney, the criminal who fingered Camm as the murderer. Camm calls Boney a “coward” who is the real killer, the man who murdered his family. In this final part of WLKY’s exclusive interview, David Camm also describes the day he confronted Boney behind bars."
 
The entire interview can be found at:

http://www.wlky.com/news/local-news/david-camm/david-camm-the-2012-exclusive-interview/-/10124124/15471078/-/10g299jz/-/index.html

See also WLKY reporter Marissa Alter's  pre-verdict interview with CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger on the differences he perceived between the three trials. (Must See. HL);

http://www.wlky.com/news/local-news/david-camm/cbs-richard-schlesinger-discusses-differences-in-camm-trials/-/10124124/22628752/-/dxi0pdz/-/index.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Cathy Lynn Henderson: Texas; The former babysitter's second trial has once again been delayed. Once on death row, she spent almost 20 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a baby in 1994 before an appeal court overturned her conviction and sentence in December on the recommendation of a judge who said a new trial was necessary because of new scientific discoveries into the nature of head injuries. The Statesman.


STORY: "Hearing reset in child murder trial," by reporter Jazmine Ulloa, published by the Statesman on October 18, 2013.

GIST:  "Defense lawyers for Cathy Lynn Henderson, a former babysitter once on death row for the 1994 death of an infant, are still preparing for her second trial. A hearing in the case set for Friday has been reset to next month, though it likely will be pushed back again due to the holidays, court officials said..........Henderson spent nearly two decades in prison for killing the baby before a sharply divided Court of Criminal Appeals overturned her capital murder conviction and sentence in December. The court upheld a recommendation by District Judge Jon Wisser that she have a new trial based on new scientific discoveries into the nature of head injuries. “Testimony of the state’s chief experts was, at bottom, scientifically flawed,” Wisser wrote in findings dated May 14 and delivered to the appeals court last year. Henderson claimed that Baugh died after slipping from her arms and falling about four feet to the concrete floor in her home in the Pflugerville area. She said she panicked, burying the boy’s body in a Bell County field before fleeing to Missouri, where she was found and arrested 11 days later. Henderson, 56, did not appear in court before District Court Judge Karen Sage."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/hearing-reset-in-child-murder-trial/nbRbt/
  
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;

Thursday, October 24, 2013

David Camm: Indiana; Travis Kircher's final thoughts on "The David Camm Blog" - following today's not guilty verdicts. Portrayal of a courtroom seething with emotion. WDRB.


POST: "Final thoughts" by Travis K. Kircher, published by WDRB on October 24, 2013.

GIST: "On Oct. 24, 2013, shortly after 12:30 p.m., a Boone County jury acquitted defendant David Camm of three counts of murder. The courtroom was packed, filled with representatives of the Renn, Camm and Lockhart families, as well as media and curious onlookers. Several chairs were added to the back of the courtroom to accommodate the interest. I personally counted 12 law enforcement members standing in the room, representing the Boone County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Lebanon Police Department. Court was gaveled into session. I couldn't tell exactly what time because the digital clock at the front of the courtroom didn't have a reading -- and my cell phone was turned off. "Thank you, be seated, and good morning!" Judge Jonathan Dartt said. He began by issuing a stern warning. "I know for all of you this is an emotional event," he said, but he added that he wanted to "remind everyone this is a courtroom." He warned everyone against emotional outbursts, telling them a story of a case he sat on in which several people became irate when the verdict was delivered. "About 12 people were in jail the whole next day," Judge Dartt said, dryly. "Cell phones should also be off," he said. Moments later: "Let's bring the jury in. All rise!" Everyone stood, including defendant David Camm, who was near the front of the courtroom in a black sport coat and blue and red striped tie. The jury filed in. Judge Dartt: Have they reached a verdict? "We have your honor," said a female juror. It is the first time we've heard her speak in two months. The verdict was delivered to Judge Dartt by the bailiff and he began to read: On the count of the murder of Kim Camm: Not Guilty. On the count of the murder of Bradley Camm: Not Guilty. On the count of the murder of Jill Camm: Not Guilty. From the first "not guilty," there was a collective gasp from several in the Lockhart family, then many of them burst into tears. Donnie Camm -- David Camm's brother -- was wearing what appeared to be a red baseball jersey with the word "Camm" on the back, and was rocking and weeping. Julie Blankenbaker, David Camm's sister, was crying. Gary Dunn, a private investigator for the defense team, was crying. Katharine Liell, David Camm's defense attorney in his second trial, was crying. David Camm himself was weeping, with loud sobs coming from the front of the courtroom. The jurors appeared unemotional. It was a different story on the other side of the room. Frank and Janice Renn sat in their chairs, their heads bowed, silently. Judge Dartt congratulated the jurors, as well as the alternates, adding that, "sometimes the alternates have the worst job in the world." He then ordered that David Camm be escorted out of the courtroom "for processing and release." When the final "All rise" was called, Camm stood only briefly, then seemed to sink back into his chair, sobbing.........Finally: Thanks to everyone who has been following this blog for the past couple of months. Many of you have sent in your encouragement, via e-mails or online comments. And several of you have come up to us personally and spoken with us in the courtroom. We're honored that you would trust us to provide you with coverage of this trial. More than anything, I hope we were fair. And I hope we covered this case in a way that was respectful of the parties involved, especially Kim, Brad and Jill. This concludes the David Camm Blog, which covered the trial beginning with jury selection on Aug. 12, to the final verdict."

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.wdrb.com/story/23782303/david-camm-blog-final-thoughts

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com; 

David Camm trial: Jury returns not guilty verdict; (On second day of deliberations) CBS story on the acquittal; (Link to story by CBS affiliate indicating that Charles Bonay has already been convicted of murder in the case);


STORY: "David Camm trial: After 3d murder trial, firmer Indiana state trooper not guilty in slayings of wife, kids," by reporters Shoshanah Wolfson and Erin Donaghue, published by CBS on October 24, 2013;

GIST: David Camm, a former Indiana State trooper, was found not guilty on three counts Thursday in the slayings of his wife and two children. The case marked the third murder trial for Camm, who has twice previously been convicted in the killings. WATCH: "48 Hours -- Murder on Lockhart Road."  Both of the previous convictions were overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered for Camm, accused in the shooting death his wife Kimberly and their children Bradley, 7, and Jill, 5, in the garage of their Georgetown, Ind. home in September of 2000. Camm had been a state trooper for more than a decade and left the force about four months before the murders. There was applause and weeping in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Camm rocked back and forth, holding his head in hands and crying. After the verdict, according to Camm's sister Julie Blakenbaker, Camm leaned against the wall and said it was "good," but that he still didn't have "them," referring to his family. Kitty Liell, Camm's attorney at his second trial, said that "prayers have been answered." Camm has always  maintained his innocence, saying he was playing basketball with 10 other people.........Camm's defense argued another man - Charles Boney - was the killer, and acted alone. Boney has already been convicted of murder in the case, reports CBS affiliate WISH-TV.

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57609131-504083/david-camm-trial-after-3rd-murder-trial-former-ind-state-trooper-not-guilty-in-slayings-of-wife-kids/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com;