WIKIPEDIA ENTRY: Arthur Allan Thomas;
GIST: A Royal Commission of Inquiry was established, headed by retired New South Wales Justice Robert Taylor. This declared Thomas to have been wrongfully charged and convicted, and found that among other improprieties, police had planted a .22 rifle cartridge case in the garden of the house where the murders were committed. The case was found four months and ten days after the area had already been subjected to one of the most intensive police searches ever undertaken. The cartridge case was said to have come from a rifle belonging to Thomas. However, the police tested only 64 rifles in an area where this weapon was common and found that two – including the one belonging to Thomas – could have fired the cartridge case found in the garden. This was the link to the deaths of the Crewes although it was later admitted that the case was "clean" and uncorroded when found. As such, the condition of the case was inconsistent with having lain in the garden, exposed to weather and dirt for more than four months.........The commission report said: "Mr Hutton and Mr [Len] Johnston planted the shell case ... and they did so to manufacture evidence that Mr Thomas' rifle had been used for the killings."[3] The Solicitor-General recommended against prosecuting the officers due to insufficient evidence.[4] Both officers have since died.........The two detectives who planted the shell which helped convict Thomas are now dead. Johnston died in 1978. Bruce Hutton, 83, died in Middlemore Hospital in April 2013.[6] At Hutton's funeral, Deputy Commissioner Mike Bush praised Mr Hutton and said he was known for having "integrity beyond reproach".[7] An editorial in the NZ Herald said: "that was clearly absurd. It was also an unthinking or calculated insult to Mr Thomas, who spent nine years in prison before being pardoned".[8] Thomas, now 75 years old, responded by saying the police were engaged in "a blatant cover up".[9] Police are still conducting a review of the original investigation."
The entire Wikipedia entry can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Allan_Thomas
See "Cold case review coming to a close": (3News; December 16, 2013); "There's concern police may never find justice over the cold-case murders of Jeanette and Harvey Crewe. Arthur Allan Thomas was convicted in two trials, but pardoned 9 years
later after it was discovered former Inspector Bruce Hutton planted
evidence against him. Police launched a review of the case in
2010 at the request of the Crewe's daughter, Rochelle Crewe, but details
released under the Official Information Act show police have no record
of the amount of time spent on the new investigation. Arthur Allan Thomas' brother Des believes officers don't want to admit they've wasted time.
"[It's]
probably an embarrassment. When you look at the cost of this case over
all the years, it's become a disgrace because in the finish – Rochelle
hasn't known and doesn't know who murdered her folks.".........Police say the review is coming to a close, but couldn't give an indication on when it would be released. Four police officers have been undertaking the review, but none have been assigned to the case full-time.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Cold-case-review-coming-to-a-close/tabid/423/articleID/325246/Default.aspx
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/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com;
