STORY: :Michigan Police Chief Lied About Crucial Drawing in Davontae Sanford Trial," by reporter Andrew Simontacchi, published by the Epoch Times on June 10, 2016.
PHOTO CAPTION: "Davontae Sanford sits in court as attorneys present their findings in Detroit on June 30, 2010. Sanford was just 14 when he told police he killed four people in a drug den. He was sentenced to at least 38 years in prison for the 2007 slayings."
GIST: "A former Michigan State police chief fabricated a crucial piece of evidence during the 2007 murder trial of then-14-year-old, Davontae Sanford. Sanford, now 23, was released on June 8 after spending the last 9 years in prison for crimes he did not commit. Sanford had been sentenced to at least 38 years in prison for the 2007 slayings of four people. The fabricated evidence was a drawing of the crime scene, in which Michigan State Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert, in 2010, lied under oath and said Sanford had drawn the picture, indicating he had full knowledge of the scene. “Mr. Sanford being able to draw the sketch would demonstrate that all of the information came from Mr. Sanford’s recollection of his participation in the crime,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in a powerpoint presentation she showed at a press conference. A sergeant from the department also testified that the initial sketch was written and signed by Sanford. But in 2015, Michigan State Police officials interviewed Tolbert during a reinvestigation of the case—this time, Tolbert confessing to drawing it and passing it off as Sanford’s. “When evidence undermining a conviction is discovered and a full investigation is completed, we do act,” Worthy said. “On receipt of the MSP report regarding the Runyon St. murders, I directed that the evidence of Tolbert’s statement be shared with Mr. Sanford’s attorneys.” Worthy said: “New information has undermined Sanford’s confession and plea, and as a result, we agreed to vacate his convictions and dismiss the case. "Sanford was officially released on June 8, a day after all charges against him were dropped. Just two weeks after Sanford pleaded guilty and was sentenced, Vincent Smothers, a self-proclaimed professional hitman, admitted to committing the murders, and provided evidence from the crime scene—evidence that Sanford had previously gotten wrong during his testimonies....It is believed Sanford, being young and naive, accepted his guilty plea at the time after suspected coercion from the Detroit Police Department, who led the teen to believe if he pleaded guilty he would be set free."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2088478-michigan-police-chief-lied-about-crucial-drawing-during-davontae-sanford-trial/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
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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.
Please 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;
