Monday, February 21, 2022

Charles Wright California: Another neat one to follow: (I can't wait to see how this one works out! HL); DNA evidence leads to arrest of a teacher in a 2005 murder case after DNA and fingerprint evidence allegedly linked him to the killing according to the authorities, as the L.A. Times (Reporter Melissa Gomez) reports. However, Mr. Wright, on being 'reached by phone' by the L.A. Times, denied involvement in the crime, and, as reported, "(he) said detectives had found his fingerprints on Epps’ purse, but that could be explained because he had been selling purses, tennis shoes and clothing from the trunk of his car at the time of the slaying. He did not address the DNA allegation but said he had resigned from Inglewood Unified School District to fight the case.“I didn’t do this,” Wright said. “The thing is, everybody that knows me knows that I used to sell bags and clothes out of my car. ... That’s the only possible way it could happen.” He said he believes people who purchased bags from him during that time period could confirm his story." Yes, indeed. I will be following developments with my usual keen interest. H.L);


STORY: "DNA evidence leads to arrest of Inglewood teacher in 2005 murder case. He says he didn’t do it," by Reporter Melissa Gomez, published by The L.A. Times,  on January 30, 2022.


GIST: "An Inglewood teacher was arrested on suspicion of murdering a 21-year-old woman in 2005 after DNA and fingerprint evidence allegedly linked him to the killing, authorities said Saturday.


Pertina Epps was found lying in a carport in Gardena on April 26, 2005, a Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. She had been strangled, the medical examiner said.


Charles Wright, 56, was arrested Thursday but released on bond. Detectives do not believe Wright and Epps knew each other, the sheriff’s office said.


Reached by phone Sunday, Wright denied involvement in the crime. He said detectives had found his fingerprints on Epps’ purse, but that could be explained because he had been selling purses, tennis shoes and clothing from the trunk of his car at the time of the slaying. He did not address the DNA allegation but said he had resigned from Inglewood Unified School District to fight the case.


“I didn’t do this,” Wright said. “The thing is, everybody that knows me knows that I used to sell bags and clothes out of my car. ... That’s the only possible way it could happen.” He said he believes people who purchased bags from him during that time period could confirm his story.


County administrator Erika F. Torres, head of Inglewood Unified, told staff and parents in a letter dated Saturday that the district learned of the accusation the day before and that Wright would no longer be teaching at any of its schools. The letter, first reported by the Inglewood-based news site 2 Urban Girls, does not name Wright but includes a link to the Sheriff Department’s announcement of his arrest.


Detectives began reviewing Epps’ murder in 2021 and resubmitted forensic evidence from the crime scene using new technology, officials said.


Wright is scheduled for arraignment June 28.


Authorities said that anyone with information regarding the case can anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477."


The entire story can be read at: 


https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-01-30/dna-evidence-arrest-murder-case-pertina-epps?utm_id=48593&sfmc_id=734618

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;




SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:




FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;