COUNTDOWN:15 days to Wrongful Conviction Day: (Thursday October 6, 2016);
POST: "New DNA Testing Reopens Michigan Serial Killer Case," by Alejandra de la Fuente, published by The Innocence Project of Florida on September 16, 2016.
GIST: "The
Michigan State Police have
opened an investigation into the DNA testing conducted for 53-year-old
Michael Darnell Harris’ case in 1981. Harris was convicted of killing
77-year-old Ula Curdy of Lansing, Michigan. Now he is serving life
sentences for the murder of three other women as well in 1981 and 1982
in Lansang. However, Harris has maintained his innocence for all four
crimes.
In 2015, Harris gained permission from Ingham County Circuit Judge
Rosemarie Aquilina to conduct DNA testing on semen found on Curdy’s
girdle. What came back was DNA that did not match Harris but another man
already in the database of convicted offenders and arrestees. A
spokesman for the Lansing Police Department said that this claim is
currently being reviewed. Now, the MSP is reopening the case to investigate how the crime lab handled the DNA testing. According to the
Detriot Free Press,
“records show a former MSP crime lab supervisor who testified against
Harris in both the Ingham and Washtenaw county cases was forced to
retire in 2004 after officials learned he had a subordinate complete his
DNA proficiency test and fraudulently submitted it as his own.” This
calls into question the legitimacy of Harris’ convictions where this
supervisor was used as an expert witness."
The entire post can be found at:
http://floridainnocence.org/content/?p=13398
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. 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/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
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.