This Friday, we will be joined by Andrew Wade for #cclivechat and I have some burning questions for him. We have seen many cases re-investigated in the USA where forensic arson detection plays a role. I pointed you to the case of Han Tak Lee in my previous Sum it up! and now we have [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Cameron Todd Willingham, cclivechat, Daniel Dougherty, Forensics, Han Tak Lee, Kenneth RicheyThe first Sum it up! for 2012 and I got a lot to share with you. First of all, another police department has decided to place all their cold cases online with information for the public. The Syracuse Police Department and the Criminal Investigations Division have established the Cold Case Unit with an email address and a telephone [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Evidence, Forensics, Han Tak Lee, Sum it Up!, Unsolved HomicideExciting news in the Mercury: “The Texas Forensic Science Commission on Friday approved 17 recommendations for improving arson inquiries. The panel also is suggesting a review of murder convictions involving fires, starting with prisoners on death row.” Of course, reading about forensic arson detection brings to mind the cases of Daniel Dougherty(PA), David McLeod(NH) and [...]
Tags: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Cruelty, DNA, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensic arson detection, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful ConvictionsA pretrial hearing begins coming Monday in Sullivan County Superior Court (NH) in the case of David McLeod who is accused of setting the 1989 fire that killed the Hina family. McLeod was indicted last year on four counts of murder, accused of setting the blaze that killed the Hinas. I am particularly interested in the forensic arson detection part [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Crime Scene, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Kenneth Richey, New Hampshire, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, WitnessesThe controversial chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission will be out of the job next week. The state Senate Nominations Committee has ended its work for this session without voting on Gov. Rick Perry’s appointment in 2009 of John Bradley to chair the commission. Perry appointed Bradley to lead the commission days before it was to [...]
Tags: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Death Row, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prisons, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful ConvictionsUpdate Hina Murders: A New Hampshire fire investigator says he doesn’t believe a lit cigarette started the fire that killed a Keene family of four in an adjacent apartment in 1989. Lawyers for 54-year-old David McLeod are in court challenging evidence prosecutors say shows that McLeod set the fire that killed a newlywed couple, their 4-month-old daughter [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Crime Scene, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, New Hampshire, Police, Unsolved Homicide, Victim, WitnessesThe Statesman reports that “a draft report issued today by the Texas Forensic Science Commission on the evidence used to convict and execute Cameron Todd Willingham focuses on training and education initiatives for fire investigators and makes several suggestions for continued improvement for investigations. The report, as expected, takes pains to say that it does [...]
Tags: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Death Row, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Miscarriage of Justice, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful ConvictionsA Republican leader in the Texas Senate is stalling a vote that would oust the head of the state Forensic Science Commission so the controversial chairman can stay in place to rule on the Willingham case questioning whether he was executed based on faulty arson evidence. The forensics panel is set to meet next week to consider its [...]
Tags: Actual Innocence, Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Death Row, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful ConvictionsFrom the Dallas Morning News: “Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Tuesday the Senate will delay action on the confirmation of Williamson County prosecutor John Bradley as chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission while he (Dewhurst) talks to Senate Democrats about their opposition to the nomination. There has been controversy over Bradley’s comments in the [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, FBI, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Texas, Victim, Witnesses, Wrongful ConvictionsThe Sentinel Source reports that ”Prosecutors and defense attorneys last week filed a request for jury selection in David B. McLeod’s trial to begin Aug. 1, according to Senior Assistant Attorney General N. William Delker. McLeod was indicted last year on four counts of murder, accused of setting a blaze that killed Carl R. Hina, 49, Lori [...]
Tags: Arson Detection, Autopsy, Cameron Todd Willingham, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Daniel Dougherty, David McLeod, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Hina Family, Identification, Investigations Division, Kenneth Richey, New Hampshire, Police, Victim, Witnesses
