The Case - UPDATE

Thumbnail of my last five weeks:

Here's the set-up: Two dudes planned and jacked an armored car guard (the "hopper") as he's taking deposits into a bank. Laid a trap and such. Came out blazing and guard never had a chance to just hand the money bag over. Shot him dead and took bag then tried to flee in the stolen car they arrived in (Cherokee).

But driver of armored car rammed the getaway vehicle, disabling it. So the perps panicked and ran around to the back of the bank and carjacked a woman's car at gunpoint (Grand Am).

Perps left behind two handguns and ammo (but ran off with others).

So. Only one witness claimed she saw one of the perps (shaky testimony). Video and stills from video only show masked dudes with guns, dead guard, etc. Highly inclusive to convict.

But. One perp apparently drops his cap as he's running away. Hello? DNA on steering wheel of stolen Cherokee matched the DNA from the ball cap which matched the DNA from the carjacked Grand Am. All that DNA matched one of the perps who's DNA happens to be in criminal database.

Easy? No. Total DNA carpet-bombing by the defense to wedge doubt in every aspect of theory, execution, and technique of DNA testing for forensics. Defense FAIL!

Guilty on all six counts plus all federal add-ons. Case was originally a state, then a federal death penalty case but defense convinced the courts that our defendant was retarded (clinically so) and the US opted to not pursue execution.

More story, nuance, and links soon.

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Huntington's Disease [clicky]

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Link Dump:

http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=242625 <-- Date should be 08.07.04

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48782-2004Aug7.html

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Public-Affairs/press_releases/press07/WashingtonD.C.ManChargedwithMurderandRobberyofDunbarArmoredCarEmployee.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041701725_pf.html <-- Second story

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_20081014/ai_n30901937/

http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Opinions/USA_v_Davis_0316Order_0309.pdf

http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Opinions/USA_v_Davis_MemoOpinion_0309.pdf

http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Opinions/199mem.pdf

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/628271.html

http://baltimore.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/ba060309.htm