QUOTE OF THE DAY: "A judge threw out Seabolt’s conviction after finding constitutional violations, including the state’s failure to disclose evidence that could have proven her innocence. Elliot Slosar, an attorney and adjunct professor who is a member of Notre Dame’s Exoneration Justice Clinic, is representing Seabolt. “Iris is a victim. She’s a victim of Elkhart. She’s a victim of Steven Rezutko. She’s a victim of a failed criminal justice system,” Slosar said.
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: As noted in a previous post of this Blog (link below) "The State also failed to disclose a video-recorded interrogation of Seabolt's co-defendant threatening to have him “strap[ped]” to a “gurney” and executed if he did not cooperate with the prosecution, a video which Rezutko had previously testified did not exist." This is powerful evidence of innocence which, among other police abuses, deprived Iris Seabolt of a fair trial and sent this innocent woman to prison for 19 years. I was pleased to learn about the Seabolt case, for the reason that (as s I have previously noted on this Blog:)
"For years I have been looking for a case involving the hiding - yes, literally hiding of crucial evidence in a homicide case, which is thereby similar to recently exonerated Tim Rees (Ontario) which also involved a critical failure of disclosure leading to Rees' conviction of second-degree murder in the killing of 10-year-old Darla Thurrott. As Innocence Canada has written, "The primary basis of his application was the non-disclosure of crucial evidence: A tape recording of a highly incriminating conversation was withheld from Tim's defence. As part of Innocence Canada's review of Tims case (years after his conviction and appeals, HL) a request was made in 2016 to the Toronto Police for access to the original investigative files, The Toronto Homicide Cold Case Squad discovered a box of cassettes regarding Tim's case, which included the tape recording, and turned it over to Innocence Canada, The recorded conversation was between the police and Darlene Thurrott's and Bill Wilson's landlord, James Raymer, who lived in the same house and slept in the room immediately across from Darla's bedroom This recording clearly implicated Raymer (now deceased) as a viable alternative suspect. Had the missing tape been disclosed in 1989, it is highly doubtful that Tim would have been tried or convicted of Darla's murder. On Thursday, November, 27, 2025, Tim Ree's charge of second-degree murder was withdrawn in the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto."
Note also the Vernon Horn and Marquis Jackson case (also posted on this Blog) - another example of burying critical evidence with disastrous results for the accused person. (The abhorrence to such outrageous police misconduct - and its consequences - was recently recognized in the wrongful conviction settlement the two men reached, totalling 30.5 million dollars. (US, I might add.) From a previous post of this Blog: "One judge said the police engaged in tactics that kept jurors from hearing evidence that would have given them serious doubts about the case. Most notably, they failed to hand over to prosecutors 137 pages of records, including those from a phone stolen from the deli that night that showed calls between the actual culprits and members of a Bridgeport gang they were part of. A detective kept the records in the basement of her house for 17 years, providing them only after an investigator working for one of Mr. Horn’s lawyers asked about them."
Tim Rees; Iris Seabolt: Vernon Horn: Marquis Jackson: I cannot understand why, all too often are allowed to get away all too often with such abusive behaviour - while their victims carry the scars of imprisonment for the rest of their lives. True Tim was recently exonerated by the Ontario Court of Appeal, but noticeably missing from their ruling was the outrage the justices should have expressed over the police burial of evidence - and conveying the message that it must be investigated, dealt with as serious abuse of power in the criminal justice system, and make loud and clear that it will will not be tolerated. Indeed, there should be an independent inquiry in Tim's case (and the others) to find out how the crucial evidence ended up in nondescript boxes in the Chief of Police's quarters for so many years, while he spent decades of his life in prison. And I would love to know, if the Toronto Police force has taken any steps to conduct an internal investigation to get to the bottom of what happened, and ensure that it will never happen again. It should.
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
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STORY: "Attorneys for exonerated woman call for investigation into past cases tied to former Elkhart officer," by Reporter Joshua Short, published by WDNU, on September 4, 2026. (Joshua Short is a 4-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, from Chicago, Illinois. Not far from where he was raised in the Windy City is where he grew up professionally. He moved to the area in 2017. In 2018, he joined 16 Morning News Now, becoming the area’s first Black journalist assigned to co-anchor a daily newscast."
SUB-HEADING: "Group behind Iris Seabolt’s exoneration says her case exposes broader failures in Elkhart County."
SUB-HEADING: "The group behind Iris Seabolt’s exoneration says her case exposes broader failures in Elkhart County."
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The group of attorneys behind Iris Seabolt’s exoneration in a 2000 Elkhart murder case is calling for an investigation into past cases tied to a former Elkhart police officer.
This comes after a judge overturned Seabolt’s murder conviction earlier this week, and she will not be recharged.
Background of the case
Seabolt initially pleaded guilty to murder but told a judge she was not of sound mind when she made the plea during her 2004 murder trial in the death of A.J. Williams.
A judge threw out Seabolt’s conviction after finding constitutional violations, including the state’s failure to disclose evidence that could have proven her innocence.
Elliot Slosar, an attorney and adjunct professor who is a member of Notre Dame’s Exoneration Justice Clinic, is representing Seabolt.
“Iris is a victim. She’s a victim of Elkhart. She’s a victim of Steven Rezutko. She’s a victim of a failed criminal justice system,” Slosar said.
Former officer’s role questioned
Seabolt’s attorneys said one of the issues in the case involves former Elkhart police officer Steven Rezutko.
“Detective Rezutko was not fired by the City of Elkhart. He should have been. He should have been fired. He should have been criminally prosecuted for admissions that he had made in these internal affairs files,” Slosar said. “But instead . . . they let him resign. And by letting him resign two years before Iris was ever wrongfully charged and then wrongfully convicted, it allowed for the state to never disclose the fact that the lead investigator was committing crimes with witnesses in her case. So her trial was a complete sham. There should be an independent investigation that occurs into every single Rezutko case.”
Seabolt said she hopes to help others who have gone through similar experiences.
“I just, I look forward to being able to help others that have been through this and to help others to not go through this,” Seabolt said.
City’s response
Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson issued a statement addressing the case, saying “the wrongful conviction of Iris Seabolt was a tragedy in regard to the murder of A.J. Williams” and that “no one should be wrongfully convicted.”
“The Elkhart Police Department has made meaningful reforms to prevent past shortcomings from being repeated. Stronger promotion standards and other policies are designed to ensure officers who do not meet our expectations for integrity and professionalism do not advance within the department,” Roberson said.
Roberson also said “the conduct associated with Steve Rezutko was unacceptable and would not be tolerated” today.
“While the City has no authority to reopen or decide past criminal cases, we will continue to rely on and support the judicial process as it makes its way through these cases,” Roberson said.
The wrongful conviction of Iris Seabolt was a tragedy in regard to the murder of A.J. Williams. No one should be wrongfully convicted.
The Elkhart Police Department has made meaningful reforms to prevent past shortcomings from being repeated. Stronger promotion standards and other policies are designed to ensure officers who do not meet our expectations for integrity and professionalism do not advance within the department. The department is also pursuing CALEA accreditation, a nationally recognized standard that strengthens policies, accountability, and professional practices.
While the City has no authority to reopen or decide past criminal cases, we will continue to rely on and support the judicial process as it makes its way through these cases. The conduct associated with Steve Rezutko was unacceptable and would not be tolerated in today’s EPD. Mayor Rod Roberson's statement on wrongful conviction of Iris Seabolt
According to the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic, this case marks the eighth exoneration in Elkhart County, the most of any county in the state of Indiana."
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.wndu.com/2026/09/04/attorneys-exonerated-woman-call-investigation-into-past-cases-tied-former-elkhart-officer/
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. 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. 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; 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;