STORY: Lawyers say new DNA evidence could clear convicted rape suspect after 28 years; John Kunco was convicted of a violent rape in New Kensington in 1992," by reporter Jim Madalinsky, published by Pittsburgh's Action News 4 on May 17, 2018.
SUB-HEADING: "New DNA evidence in rape case could set man convicted of rape free."
GIST: "John Kunco's attorneys believe he could soon be a
free man after serving 28 years in prison. Court documents filed last
week claim DNA evidence proves Kunco is innocent. Kunco was
convicted in 1992 of blindfolding a woman with her underwear, shocking
her with a frayed electrical cord and raping her. The crime took place
in 1990 in New Kensington. Advertisement Kunco's attorney, Wendy Williams, told Pittsburgh's Action News 4
male DNA was found on the electrical cord and a white blanket at the
scene, but both have now been tested and neither match Kunco's DNA.
Project Innocence in New York City has been working on Kunco's behalf
and Williams said technological advances finally allowed those DNA tests
to take place. A hearing is scheduled for Kunco May 23 to discuss possible bail while he appeals his conviction. Pittsburgh's
Action News 4 reached out to the Westmoreland County District Attorney
for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
The entire story can be found at:
The entire story can be found at:
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS SEGMENT: " WEBVTT HE DID NOT COMMIT THE CRIME. JIM: IS RIGHT. JOHN KUHN GO -- KUNCO WAS SENT TO PRISON IN 1992. HE WAS ACCUSED OF BLINDFOLDING A WOMAN WITH HER UNDERWEAR SHOCKING HER WITH A FRAYED ELECTRICAL CORD, AND RAPING HER. 28 YEARS LATER, HIS LAWYERS ARE BELIEVING HE IS INNOCENT FROM NEW DNA TESTING. THEY ARE HOPING NEXT WEEK HE WILL WALK OUT OF JAIL ON BAIL OR HAVE A CONVICTION COMPLETELY OVERTURNED. NEW COURTFILINGS BY HIS ATTORNEY, WENDY WILLIAMS AND THE INNOCENCE PROJECT OUT OF NEW YORK CITY, FOCUSED ON NEW DNA EVIDENCE, A BLANKET WITH MALE DNA AND BLOOD FROM THE SCENE HAD NOT BEEN TESTED, UNTIL THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY WASN’T AVAILABLE. WILLIAMS CLAIMS KUNCO’S DNA WAS NOT A MATCH TO WHAT WAS FOUND ON THAT BLANKET AND THE ELECTRICAL CORD THAT WAS USED, AND A BITE MARK THAT WAS USED AS EVIDENCE, WAS ALREADY THROWN OUT IN RECENT APPEALS. >> IN 2016 BITE MARK EVIDENCE AS A WHOLE WAS DECLARED JUNK SCIENCE, THERE IS NO VALIDITY TO IDENTIFYING PEOPLE’S BITE MARKS. BOTH ITEMS OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE HAVE BEEN TESTED AND MR. KUNCO, JOHN KUNCO IS NOT THE PERSON, NOT THE MALE WHO’S -- WHOSE DNA DNA IT IS SO IT SHOWS HE’S ABSOLUTELY INNOCENT. IT’S A MIRACLE FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO SAY YOU’RE INNOCENT AFTER BEING IN PRISON FOR 28 YEARS. JIM: WE DID REACH OUT THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY LATE TONIGHT, BUT DID NOT HEAR BACK. WILLIAMS SAYS KUNCO IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT NEXT WEEK HOPING TO AT LEAST GET OUT ON BELL -
