Posted on 03/23/2010 12:36:04 PM PDT by sodpoodle
Jeffrey MacDonald, Green Beret Doctor Convicted for Slayings of Wife & 2 Daughters, Seeks New Trial
In 2006, the appeals court ruled that MacDonald could seek a new trial in federal district court based on retired Deputy U.S. Marshal Jim Britt's claim that he heard prosecutor James Blackburn coerce Stoeckley into lying. Blackburn told Stoeckley she'd be charged with the crimes if she admitted to being in the MacDonald home the night of the killings, Britt said.
Britt died in 2008, and Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Fox rejected MacDonald's bid for a new trial two weeks later. MacDonald's lawyers appealed to the 4th Circuit, citing errors during the trial and "startling new evidence" to prove his innocence.
In addition to the statements by Stoeckley's mother and Britt, MacDonald is citing the long-awaiting results of DNA testing of three hairs, including one found under Kristen's fingernail. The tests excluded MacDonald or anyone in his household - evidence that MacDonald claims points to intruders.
Prosecutors say the test results also eliminate Stoeckley and her boyfriend, Greg Mitchell, who also had told conflicting stories about whether he was involved in the slayings. Mitchell died in 1982.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
DNA has not been exculpatory.
Happens every day. /sarcasm
Drug crazed hippies? The Obama justice department got an early start....
I always believed he was guilty.
It would be different if there was DNA blood evidence of the four *unknown* intruders he *saw*.
IIRC there was a lot of blood.
Maybe I am being simple but how is Blackburn telling Stoeckley she’d be charged with the crimes if she admitted to being in the MacDonald home the night of the killings anything short of honest?
I always thought him guilty.
Wonder where this will lead?
There’s the problem. The guy (Britt) who heard it is now dead.
I posted the article after hearing about it on Fox News, but
my memory is failing me on details of the case and the movie. I just remember that his father-in-law’s change of heart and his book - were very persuasive.
I have to have a bit or respect for the guy for not blaming a few crazed black guys.
However, just two months after the arrest on the Manson Family, drug crazed hippies must have seemed like a nice scapegoat at the time.
Thats true. My point was if in fact she was lying, and he told her the consequece of her lie would be being charged (about being there) how is that being coerced?
This in my opinion is not enough to gain a new trial. Only conclusive DNA would make me doubt his guilt.
Read “Fatal Vision” the book about the McDonald case. You will be ready to crucify him...guaranteed.
Charlie Manson was all over the news, and suddenly his family is murdered the same exact way, only different.
Always seemed equally convenient and preposterous to me.
What did he say they’d chanted? “Acid is groovy. Kill the pigs.”
A little cornball, even for drug crazed hippies.
This guy should have been put to death after the first trial. The next thing you know he will be friending Scott Peterson on Facebook
The following 8 part article refreshed my memory. Now I wish I had ignored it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/16/48hours/main2580419.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody
Guilty!
I was stationed at Bragg when this happened,a bunch of us
drove over to where it was a bizzare scene.This is
a tiny front yard and there were about twenty people walking
around doing nothing but messing up a crime scene.
I`ve always thought the SOB was as guilty as hell
There was a magazine about the Charlie Manson murders lying on MacDonald’s coffee table. Convenient it was for him at the time.
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