Posted on 01/07/2006 5:45:47 AM PST by Former Military Chick
DNA testing that may finally put to rest the guilt or innocence of Roger Keith Coleman is possible only because of a forensic scientist on the other side of the country.
That is because Virginia authorities cannot find the original evidence from the 1981 rape and murder that led to Coleman's 1992 execution. State law at the time allowed the destruction of evidence after initial appeals were over.
But Coleman's case was one of the most contentious and high-profile in the modern history of the death penalty in the United States. And the evidence was still intact at least nine years after the slaying.
On Thursday, Gov. Mark R. Warner announced that testing was under way in the case using DNA extracts prepared in 1990 by Dr. Edward T. Blake of Forensic Science Associates in Richmond, Calif.
Though hired by Coleman's lawyers in 1990, Blake's DNA testing strongly implicated Coleman, finding that he was within 2 percent of the population that could have committed the rape and murder of Wanda Fay McCoy in Grundy.
DNA technology developed since then might come up with more definitive results.
Following the 1990 testing, Blake returned the evidence to the Virginia State Police including part of a vaginal swab, a bloody sweater from the victim and a blood sample from Coleman -- and the items have subsequently disappeared.
James McClosky, executive director of Centurion Ministries, the New Jersey organization that long sought the current testing, said yesterday, "we're on a search for them right now."
"I've been trying to get the governor's office to locate them, and they're trying to. If they're gone, [if someone] destroyed that evidence, there's got to be an accounting for it. Somebody has to authorize that," said McClosky.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
The Coleman case seems mighty complex. I hope they will find the missing samples. I also hope that if and it is possible that the DNA proves otherwise that the state will go through all the evidence review it to see how this really changes the guilt or innocence of Coleman.
Then if Coleman were found to have not committed this crime than they must do all they can to find who ever did do this crime.
Good idea. Having the convicted person pay if it proves guilt makes abuse less likely.
Conservatives, contrary to liberal claims used to justify their anti-death penalty positions, do not want innocent people in jail or put to death. If DNA can prove innocence, it's a great tool.
Thats pretty good. I bet that the tests prove positive.
The DNA test that was already done strongly suggests,but doesn't conclusively prove,that Coleman did it.Add that to the old saying that police cite when talking about the murder of a woman "before you look at the outlaws,be sure to look at the in-laws".
It would be great if the test was dome and showed that Coleman was guilty because,otherwise,Warner's chances in the '08 democRAT primaries would be greatly enhanced,and a southern democRAT Governor would be hard tough to beat.
Even if it doesn't, the DNA technology of the time and the whole casework history said this was the right man.
This is all a boatload.
"we're on a search for them right now."
Good Luck. I can't find my favorite 3/8 ratchet in the garage the last time I changed my oil.
Just use someone elses DNA that will prove he was innocent. - Tom
All stories include the fact that Coleman was the brother-in-law; do you know if he was married to one of her sisters or her husband's sisters, and if this woman has made any public comments about Coleman?
It's possible that former Governor Doug Wilder is targeted ~ that Warner is trying to discredit him so that he does not lead the more Conservative African-American community to support someone else in the Presidential primaries.
IMO,if this test is done and indicates that the executed guy wasn't guilty,there will be dancing in the streets of Cambridge,Berkeley and on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.Warner would get the credit for shooting the death penalty down in flames (even if that doesn't happen). Along with this would come lots,and lots,and lots of $$$ from the usual (rich) suspects...Soros...Streisand...the Beautiful People of Manhattan,Malibu and Martha's Vineyard,etc,etc,etc.
I'll wager that Warner believes (correctly,IMO) that a democRAT Governor from a state like Virginia would be tough to beat in Nov '08.So it all depends on just how ambitious he is.
Doug doesn't like fascist clowns, and this Warner fits that bill to a "T".
Radio WRVA 1140 now reports Coleman was guilty.
And ensures that the rich have a better chance of getting off in these cases.
I just heard on WRKO in Boston an ABC News report saying that the DNA test shows that the guy was guilty.
I think you may have missed my agreement to the previous post. I do not support an innocent person having to pay for a DNA test. But, I approve of a safeguard in place to limit someone from abusing the system.
You actually did me a favor. Thank you. As a benefit for society, there should be mandatory DNA testing on every capital crime defendant. Beyond the current trial that person faces, it could be used for both past and future criminal investigations identification. Over time, such a DNA database could be invaluable for identifying criminals.
Yes. As long as the labs are honest (Oklahoma problems avoided), DNA testing has a lower incidence of false positives and false negatives than nearly anything else. It's much better than fingerprints or eyewitnesses.
IN the last year I've read two murder mysteries (can't remember which ones) where part of the plot was the fact that someone who's had a bone marrow transplant has different DNA in his blood cells (and also some of the original DNA).
It's too much coincidence that two writers had the same idea; has something like that ever really happened?
I'll let Doctor Stochastic handle the answer but I would think any database could easily have both pre and post DNA sampling information in it so this would not be a problem.
A court can legally let you change your name but that does not mean there are no record of you prior to the name change. I would guess this could be handled the same way. But, I'm sure the idea would make a good mystery novel for the readers.
Likewise, chimerae are not a problem as they would show a close relationship (sibling) and there are other body parts to check.
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