PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "NBC-owned WVIT Hartford, Conn. (NBC Connecticut) announced an Aug. 12 premiere for an investigative documentary on famed Connecticut-based forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee, who during his career consulted for more than 600 law enforcement agencies and testified more than 1,000 times in criminal and civil courts. The one-hour program details his role in the wrongful convictions of two Connecticut men and examines questions from the Innocence Project and others impacted from his findings about his credibility and methods."
STORY: "WVIT Hartford To Premiere Documentary 'Traces Of Doubt: The Forensics Of Dr. Henry Lee,' published by TV News Check, on July 30, 2024. (By TVN Staff);
NBC-owned WVIT Hartford, Conn. (NBC Connecticut) announced an Aug. 12 premiere for an investigative documentary on famed Connecticut-based forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee, who during his career consulted for more than 600 law enforcement agencies and testified more than 1,000 times in criminal and civil courts. The one-hour program details his role in the wrongful convictions of two Connecticut men and examines questions from the Innocence Project and others impacted from his findings about his credibility and methods.
Once renowned as one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists, Lee formerly led Connecticut’s state forensic laboratory and founded the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. He rose in prominence after testifying in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial in 1995 and subsequently contributed to several high-profile investigations and trials, including the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, the death of Chandra Levy, and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.
Despite his credentials and celebrated career, a case from the 1980s recently raised concerns over his role as an expert witness and consultant. In 2023, Lee was found liable for fabricating evidence in a 1989 Connecticut murder trial that sent Ralph Birch and Shawn Henning to prison. Their convictions, vacated in 2020 after they served decades in prison, relied in part on Lee’s testimony about blood evidence at the crime scene. A State Supreme Court Judge found Dr. Lee gave incorrect testimony. A higher court decided the state of Connecticut could be sued because Dr. Lee fabricated evidence of their convictions, vacated in 2020 after they served decades in prison. When the evidence was retested years later in a state lab, no blood was found.
This revelation prompted NBC Connecticut Investigates to review the case and Lee’s testimony and investigate other aspects of his career as a consultant and expert witness. Traces of Doubt: The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee “uncovers compelling questions about his methods, and sheds new light on his legacy and the impact of his testimony on the justice system, defendants, and their families,” the station said.
Tracy Davis, WVIT VP of news, said: “Our mission is to deliver compelling content and cover storylines that serve our communities, including ones that challenge those in positions in power. We’re proud of our role in providing accountability and informing our viewers,” said “We anticipate that our viewers will gain valuable insights and form their own perspectives after tuning in to our NBC Connecticut Investigates exclusive on Aug. 12.”
Traces of Doubt: The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee features an exclusive conversation with Lee about the cases in question. Also included are interviews with those who were imprisoned under questionable circumstances, as well as supporters of Lee and advocates of his work. The program also presents physical evidence, crime scene video, and photographs that have never been made public.
Traces of Doubt: The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee will debut Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. across NBC Connecticut’s TV, streaming and digital media platforms, including the free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel NBC Connecticut News, which is available across leading streaming services and connected TV platforms. The program will encore multiple times and will be available on-demand.
The entire post can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. 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:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
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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;
