Erroneous Identifications (including media reported erroneous identifications):
Marion County, Florida – 2020
Examiner Tiffany Nader made an erroneous fingerprint identification in early 2020. The
identification was verified by Jeana Starling and Samual Durrett. The print was not
removed from AFIS and returned a more suitable identification in Nov. 2020. The error
did not result in an arrest. Florida Department of Law Enforcement performed an
assessment of Marion County Fingerprint Unit and made suggestions for improvement.
Delmas, South Africa – Feb 2016
In Jan. 2008, Siyabonga Shabalala spent 411 days in jail after his fingerprint was
erroneously connected to a 2001 armed robbery by Delmas Latent Print Examiner Maria
Grobler. The error was found and correctly identified to Nhlanhla Shabalala in Feb. 2009
when preparing evidence for trial. Siyabonga Shabalala requested R1.8 million in
damages. The state concedes they are liable but the amount is to be determined.
Siyabonga’s advocate said it was inexcusable that there were no checks and balances in
place. The state said the error was not malicious.
Melissa Neylon, Inyo, California – 2015 (not a fingerprint error)
On Dec. 4, 2015, Melissa Neylon (previously Smith) was visiting the Inyo County Jail for
employment purposes. A warrant check prior to entering the jail associated Neylon with a
warrant in Indiana for Melissa Chapman (who also used the name Melissa Smith).
Neylon’s fingerprints were ran and confirmed her use of the name Melissa Smith. The
warrant was confirmed as ‘warrant is valid’; Neylon’s fingerprint were not compared to
Chapmans. Results were erroneously interpreted as the warrant belonging to Neylon.
Neylon bailed out of jail on Dec. 18, 2015. Dearborn County, Indiana performed a
fingerprint comparison on Dec. 22, 2015 and confirmed Neylon was not Chapman and
charges were dropped.
Alabama Bureau of Investigation – 2015
Beniah Alton Dandridge was release from prison in Oct. 2015 after serving 21 years for a
murder he did not commit when it was determined that the original fingerprint
identifications were in error. Carol Curlee, Latent Print Examiner from the Alabama
Bureau of Investigation, testified that she had found 14 points of agreement to one finger
and 9 points of agreement to another. In a memorandum dated Feb. 26, 1996, the
supervisor of the ABI, Fulton J. Prevost, described the identification as an exact match
(which was a common description at that time). Dandridge was convicted of the 1994
murder of Riley Manning and sentenced to life in prison in 1996. A jail house informant
testified against Dandridge to get a lighter sentence. At the trial, an ex-FBI latent print
examiner, Mervin Smith, testified that the identification was in error but the prosecution
painted him as a prostitute for the defense. The final determination that the identifications
were in error, and actually made by the victims son, was by Ron Smith, Jon Byrd, and
Matt Marvin from RS&A. Dandridge died in an automobile accident in early 2017.
Omaha Crime Lab – 2015
In Aug. 2012, Sarah Meyers identified a latent fingerprint to a subject. The identification
was verified by Amanda Miller and Todd Petrick. The subject was not charged with a
crime due to having a solid alibi. The identified latent print was not deleted from the AFIS
database and in March of 2014, the AFIS computer produced a new candidate. The new
candidate was determined to be the real depositor of the latent print and the Aug 2012
identification was determined to be an error. The error became public in January of 2015
when it was used in the trial of Mitchell Wynne to question the reliability of the Omaha
Crime Lab conclusions.
Subject in the Seth Techel trial – Feb. 28, 2013
“Thursday, Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab technician Richard Crivello
testified for the state that neither Seth Techel nor anyone else’s fingerprints were found
on the murder weapon or the shells in the gun. But that’s not unusual, he said. A hand
print on the door to the house was tested, named as undetermined, retested twice and
finally said to belong to a former roommate. The work was checked by the former head of
the DCI Crime Lab. He agreed with the results. Except the results were in error, Gardner
said: It reported the print belonged to person “A” when the examiner states the print was
from person “B”. The other scientist who confirmed the first scientist’s results made the
same error. Upon cross examination by Gardner, Crivello admitted that it was an error,
and added, “I didn’t [realize] that until today — until you pointed it out.””
http://ottumwacourier.com/local/x657741781/Father-cop-witness-Victims-father-takesthe-stand 3-5-2013
The error was a typographical error in transferring the item number from the known prints
to the report.
Adalberto Izaquierdo Garcia (suspect) – Feb. 3, 2013
On Dec. 11, 2012, Adalberto Izaquierdo Garcia was arrested on an outstanding Jackson
County, Missouri manslaughter warrant in a crime that now even prosecutors concede he
did not commit. While crossing the border between Mexico and Texas to attend his
mother’s funeral, Adalberto Garcia was arrested on a warrant for Alberto Garcia. It was
stated that his fingerprints matched those for the warrant. The fingerprints were double
checked and again reported to match those on file for Alberto Garcia. On Jan. 28, 2013
the results of a DNA test were completed and showed that Adalberto Garcia was not the
same person as Alberto Garcia. The reason behind the error was not reported.
Lana Canen (suspect) – 2012
In 2005, Lana Canen was sentenced to 55 years in prison for her part in the 2002
homicide of Helen Sailor. Her conviction was partially based on a fingerprint identification
made by Detective Dennis Chapman of the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department in
Indiana. After the fingerprint evidence was reviewed and established to be in error, Det.
Chapman reversed his conclusion, no longer believing it was a match to Canen.
R vs. Smith – 2011
Peter Smith was accused of the 2007 murder of Hilda Owen in the village of Skegby, in
Nottinghamshire, England. The fingerprint expert, Alan Gore of the Nottinghamshire
Fingerprint Bureau, concluded that a blood print on a door handle had insufficient detail
for a meaningful comparison. When Mr. Gore re-examined the print using newer
equipment, in anticipation of trial, he identified the print to Mr. Smith. The conclusion was
verified by two others in the office. Defense expert, Catherine Tweedy, agreed with the
initial evaluation of “no value” but the defense did not have her testify at trail because the
prosecution was prepared to attack her qualifications. After conviction, other experts
examined the latent print and determined there were 3 areas of conflict; ridges vs
furrows, double tap and, clarity of left side of the print. During the appeal, it was
determined that the disagreements regarding the conclusion cast doubt on the reliability
and trustworthiness of the conclusion and quashed the conviction.
Greater Manchester Police – 2010
While investigating the Alan McNamara case, Panorama discovered two additional errors
by the Greater Manchester Police that were both verified by two other examiners.
Stephen Wallace was the suspect in one case and the other person has not been
identified by the media.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/1993373.stm 2-21-2011
Stephen Wallace (Suspect) – 2010
Mr. Wallace was arrested in Nov. 2000 after his fingerprints were identified by the
Greater Manchester Police as coming from a burglary scene. The identification was
verified by two other examiners. Mike Armer, an independent fingerprint expert,
discovered that there were characteristics that did not match Wallace’s fingerprints.
Wallace was acquitted. Panorama discovered the mistakes while it was investigating the
case of Alan McNamara.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/1993373.stm 2-21-2011
Daniel Rhodes (Suspect) – 2010
Daniel Rhodes was implicated in a crime when his fingerprints were identified as being
found at the scene of a break-in. He was cleared of any wrongdoing once it was
discovered that the latent prints, lifted and submitted by Tabor Prince, came from a
training class Mr. Rhodes was teaching and not from the crime scene. This was faulty
evidence and not an erroneous identification. This error happened in 2005 but was
reported in the media in 2010.
Dwight Gomas (Suspect) – 2009
Dwight Gomas spent 17 months in jail; accused of robbery, after a fingerprint from the
crime scene was identified to him by NYPD Detective Eileen Barrett. Detective Charles
Schenkel verified the identification. Detective Daniel Perruzza found the error just prior to
Gomas’s trial. On Sept. 3, 2009, Gomas accepted a $145,000 settlement.
Derris Lewis (Suspect) – 2009
Derris Lewis spent 18 months in jail, accused of killing his identical twin brother, after a
bloody palm print at the scene was identified as being left by him. David Grieve was hired
by the defense to review the case and agreed with the identification; however, he was not
convinced that the print was left in blood. At the recommendation of Mr. Grieve, the
prints were tested and found not to have been left in blood. The charges against Derris
were dropped on Aug. 6, 2009.
Alysha Wilson (Suspect) – 2009
Miss Wilson was arrested in Dec. 2008 when her fingerprints were found at the scene of
a burglary. In July 2009, charges were dropped when it was discovered that the latent
prints were labeled by the Greater Manchester Police as coming from a game console
box when they were really taken from a wedding card she had given the victim.
Argenis J. Burgos (Suspect) – 2008
Reported by the Associated Press on Oct. 19, 2008
“Teen spends year in jail before charges are dropped”
“HARTFORD (AP) — Charges are being dropped against a Hartford teen who spent
more than a year behind bars, accused of a 2007 home invasion robbery, because the
fingerprint evidence against him is faulty.
A judge granted a motion to end the prosecution of Argenis J. Burgos after the initial
fingerprint identification in the case proved to be incorrect. And Burgos, now 18, does not
fit the victim’s description of the robbers.
Burgos’ lawyer says his client always maintained his innocence and was never near the
East Hartford apartment where a 71-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint.
Police initially said they lifted the fingerprint evidence from the base of a cordless phone.
But Burgos’ lawyer says the print actually came from the getaway car, which was a stolen
rental car.”
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/10/19/news/a2-fingerprint.txt 07-01-2009
Los Angeles Police Dept.- 2008
In Oct. 2008 it was reported that the LAPD had arrested at least two people due to
erroneous fingerprint identifications. Maria Delosange Maldonado was erroneously
identified as leaving her fingerprints at the scene of a burglary. It was found that the
latent prints were lost when the prints were to be re-examined by the FBI.
In the second case, Latonya McIntyre was extradited from Alabama on burglary charges
and the error was found while preparing the evidence for trial. At least one fingerprint
analyst was fired and 3 others were suspended.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/11/18/metro/me-fingerprints18 12-20-2008
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab – 2008
Dexter Presnell was jailed from Oct. 2006 until May 2008 due to an error by the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. Dexter Presnell was falsely identified as the person
leaving a latent print at the 2005 homicide scene of Regan Wheeler in Dallas, Texas. The
examiner in the case mistakenly compared the latent print from the scene to the
elimination prints of Wheeler’s daughter thinking they were the prints of Dexter Presnell.
Presnell was not immediately released from jail because other evidence also connected
him to the scene. The district attorney said the fingerprint evidence was the main
evidence but the error did not exonerate Prenell.
The charges were eventually dropped and Presnell was released. Presnell filed suit
against several entities but failed to prevail. On Dec. 13, 2011, the appeals court
upheld the courts decision in DEXTER WARD PRESNELL, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.
PAULDING COUNTY, GEORGIA, PAULDING COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT,
Defendants-Appellees. DEXTER WARD PRESNELL, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.GEORGIA
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, Defendant-Appellee.
Certified Examiner Donna Birks – 2007
On May 4, 2007, it was reported that there were some problems with the fingerprint
analyses in two cases from a Certified Latent Print Examiner, Donna Birks, from
Seminole County, Florida. One of the cases involved a latent print on a wallet in a
burglary case, this case was dropped. The other case had an identification of a latent
print on a shell casing in a homicide case. It was determined the latent prints did not
have enough detail to warrant a positive identification.
By June 7, 2007, hundreds of cases had been reviewed. It was found that there was 1
case that had an erroneous identification and 7 others had identifications that should
have been inconclusive. Birks resigned, the supervisor of this latent unit was reassigned
to supervisor another unit, and another latent examiner (Tara Williamson) was
reassigned as a dispatcher. It was reported that Bill McQuay, a retired Certified
Examiner, verified the erroneous identification but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Sutherland (Suspect) – 2006
On May 26, 2006 “The Scotsman” reported an erroneous identification by the Glasgow
Bureau of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO). A palm print from a burglary was
determined to be erroneous by Allan Bayle and confirmed by John MacLeod and Gary
Dempster. Gary Dempster reversed his opinion almost immediately after a more in-depth
investigation. The accused was cleared when the prosecution accepted his not guilty
plea. The “BBC News” reported the case had been dropped because of reasons other
than fingerprint evidence and indicated the original identification was done in February of2006.
“The Scotsman” reported the SCRO stands by its identification.In June 2006, it was determined that the SCRO identification was correct. Allan Bayle agreed his conclusion was wrong (considered to be an erroneous exclusion). As of July 2007 this case is still being investigated and all of the facts of this case may not be known. The name of the suspect, Sutherland, was published in Strabismus 2007.
Brandon Mayfield – 2004
Brandon Mayfield is a U.S. citizen who in May of 2004 was wrongfully arrested
as a material witness with regard to a terrorism attack in Spain. His arrest
was due to an erroneous fingerprint identification made by 3 FBI Examiners, Michael
Wieners, John T. Massey, Terry Green and 1 private fingerprint expert, Ken Moses.
News reports indicate, “Court records show that retired FBI agent John Massey, who
worked on the Madrid case, was reprimanded three times by the FBI between 1969 and
1974 for errors, including twice making false fingerprint identifications. “
http://www.mobmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=240&A=7466
In November 2006 Mayfield was awarded a $2 million dollar settlement by the U.S.
Justice Department. The settlement also included an apology and an agreement to
destroy communications intercepts conducted by the FBI against Mayfield’s home and
office during the investigation. The Justice Department added that Mayfield was not
targeted because of his Muslim faith.
Stephan Cowans – 2004
In 1997, Stephan Cowans was convicted of shooting a police officer in Boston,
Massachusetts. Part of the evidence against him included the identification of a
fingerprint on a drinking glass associated with the crime scene. Additional evidence
included faulty eyewitness testimony. In 2004, after spending 6 years in prison, Cowans
was exonerated with DNA evidence. A mislabeled fingerprint card has been alleged to
be the source of the error in the Cowans case. Others have speculated that Cowans
may have been framed by members of the Boston Police Dept. Lab technicians Dennis
LeBlanc and Rosemary Mclaughlin were put on administrative leave pending an
investigation.
In August of 2006, Cowans won a 3.2 million dollar settlement and received $500,000
from the state for the wrongful conviction. On Oct 25, 2007, Cowans was found shot to
death in his home.
Roger Benson / Identix computer discrepancy-2004
Miguel Espinoza / Identix computer discrepancy-2004
David Valken-Leduc – 2003
In Aug. 2002 in West Valley, Utah, Certified Latent Print Examiner Scott Spjut testified at
a preliminary hearing that a print found at a 1996 murder scene of a motel 6 night clerk
belonged to David Jonathan Valken-Leduc. After Spjut’s unexpected death in early 2003,
his identification was reviewed and found to be erroneous. Valken-Leduc was still
convicted of the murder in early 2004.
Mark Sinclair – 2003
In 2003, Mark Sinclair was linked to an Armed Robbery through a fingerprint identification
made by the SCRO. This identification has been questioned due to an independent
examiners conclusion (Allan Bayle) that the identification was ’unsafe’. Fingerprint
experts from Northern Ireland agreed with Allan Bayle’s conclusion.
Alan McNamara – 2002
Alan McNamara, a small discount store owner, was arrested in Oct. 1999 for burglary of
a house in Rochdale. The only connection in the case between Mr. McNamara and the
crime was a disputed thumbprint. The thumbprint lifted by the Greater Manchester Police
was alleged to have been taken from a jewelry case in the house owner’s bedroom.
Although McNamara maintained his innocence, he was found guilty of the crime and
sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison. He was released in Aug. 2002 on good behavior.
In November of the following year, McNamara won the right to appeal his conviction.
At trial, examiners Allan Bayle and Pat Wertheim testified that the print was that of Mr.
McNamara, but that the print was lifted off a different surface than the jewelry case. It
appeared that the print was lifted off a smooth curved surface, which could have been
touched by Mr. McNamara quite innocently during his day to day business.
In Dec. 2004, the appeal was heard at The Royal Courts of Justice and McNamara’s
conviction stood. It was determined that since McNamara’s prints were found on an item
with the home owners prints on the same item, he must have been the burglar.
In 2008, McNamara took the case to the Criminal Case Review Commission, an
independent body set up by the government to look at alleged cases of miscarriage of
justice.
Kathleen Hatfield – 2002
In 2002, Kathleen Hatfield was identified as the victim of a homicide after an erroneous
fingerprint identification by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Records Unit.
The error may have been due to the body being badly decomposed, similar tattoos, and
the fact that Kathleen Hatfield was listed as a missing person.
Richard Jackson – 2000
In 1998, Rick Jackson was convicted of murdering his friend Alvin David and given a life
sentence in Delaware County, Pennsylvania based on an erroneous fingerprint
identification. Two local police officers, Anthony Paparo and Upper Darby Police
Superintendent Vincent Ficchi, made the erroneous identification and it was verified by
an out of state Certified Examiner. Retired FBI examiner George Wynn was the first
examiner to discover the mistake, Vernon McCloud, another former FBI examiner,
verified Wynn’s conclusion just days before Jackson’s trial. Even with this testimony,
Jackson was found guilty. The International Association of Identification reviewed the
identification and agreed that it was erroneous. In 2000, after the FBI concurred with
these results, Jackson was released from prison. The Certified Examiner was decertified
and lost his job. The Upper Darby Police and Anthony Paparo stand by the identification.
MSNBC “When Forensics Fail” Oct. 25, 2007
John Fetterly, Sudbury, Canada – Feb. 1998
John Fetterly was mis-identified as leaving a latent print on a cash box at the murder of
Renee Sweeney by Sudbury police officer Bill Evanochko and verified by Todd
Zimmerman. The error was found by the RCMP. The fingerprint was later identified to
Robert Steven Wright, who went to trial for the murder in Feb. 2023.
Danny McNamee – 1998
In 1986, Danny McNamee was sentenced for conspiracy to cause explosions in London
and found guilty of being “The Hyde Park Bomber”. In 1998 his charges were quashed.
14 experts analyzed the latent prints and couldn’t find more than 11 characteristics in
common (in a country that required 16 to make a positive identification).
Shirley McKie – 1997
In 1997, Shirley McKie, a detective with the Strathclyde Police in Scotland, was charged
with perjury after denying that she had left a fingerprint at the murder scene of Marion
Ross. David Asbury was convicted of this murder based on other fingerprint evidence.
Later both charges were overturned while the SCRO, who performed the fingerprint
analysis, stood by their identifications. On February 7, 2006, just prior to Shirley McKie’s
civil hearing, The Scottish Ministers settled out of court for the full amount Ms. McKie was
suing for, while not admitting to any errors.
Over 10 years after the murder the identifications were still under dispute and a resolution
seemed impossible. In April 2007, the examiners involved in this case were asked to
resign. Four of the six examiners (Robert McKenzie, Allan Dunbar, Hugh McPherson
and Charlie Stewart) took a redundancy package. One examiner, Tony McKenna,
agreed to be redeployed to Strathclyde Police. Fiona McBride refused to accept another
job at 1/3 of her salary and was fired on May 1, 2007. Fiona McBride pursued legal
action.
On Dec.14, 2011, after a four year inquiry regarding the conclusions, appellant court
judge Sir Anthony Campbell published a 790 page report. The key findings were:
1. There is no evidence other than the mark Y7 to suggest that Ms McKie at any time
entered Miss Ross’s house beyond the area of the porch.
2. The mark Y7 on the door-frame of the bathroom in Miss Ross’s house was
misidentified as the fingerprint of Ms McKie.
3. Ms McKie did not make the mark Y7.
4. There was no conspiracy against Ms McKie in Strathclyde Police and all reasonable
steps were taken by that force to seek from SCRO confirmation of the identification of Y7.
5. The mark QI2 Ross was misidentified as the fingerprint of Miss Ross.
6. There was no impropriety on the part of any of the SCRO fingerprint examiners who
misidentified the mark Y7 as having been made by Ms McKie or the mark QI2 Ross as
having been made by Miss Ross. These were opinions genuinely held by them.
7. The marks Y7 and QI2 Ross were both misidentified by SCRO fingerprint examiners
due to human error and there is nothing sinister about the fact that these two errors
occurred in the same case.
8. The misidentifications of Y7 and QI2 Ross expose weaknesses in the methodology of
fingerprint comparison and in particular where it involves complex marks.
9. Fingerprint examiners are presently ill-equipped to reason their conclusions as they
are accustomed to regarding their conclusions as a matter of certainty and seldom
challenged.
10. There is no reason to suggest that fingerprint comparison in general is an inherently
unreliable form of evidence but practitioners and fact-finders alike require to give due
consideration to the limits of the discipline.
June 15, 2016, Fiona McBride won her unfair dismissal case.
Manuel Quinta Guerra – 1996
Manuel Quinta Guerra served 4 months in jail due to an erroneous identification by the
Houston Police Department. In July of 1996, two fingerprint analysts identified a latent
print on a fork from the homicide scene of Lawrence Perham to Guerra. Guerra and
Perham were roommates. In December 1996, the identification was reviewed by the FBI
and found to be an error. Rafael Saldivar was reprimanded for the error in 1997. This
was reported on July 18, 2010 by the Houston Chronicle.
Andrew Chiory – 1996
In 1996, Andrew Chiory served 2 months in prison due to an erroneous identification
done by Scotland Yard. This was claimed to be the first mistaken identification by
Scotland Yard since the bureau’s inception in 1901 (Cole, “Suspect Identities” 2001).
Simon Harris initially made the erroneous identification (Daily Mall, April 10, 1997) which
led to the arrest of Andrew Chiory for the 1995 home burglary of well-known writer and
broadcaster Dr. Miriam Stoppard. The identification was said to be triple checked by
Scotland Yard. Ron Cook was one of the examiners that re-examined the evidence and
determined it to be erroneous. In defense motions, this case is commonly referred to by
a newspaper article by Stephen Grey, “Yard in Fingerprint Blunder”, April 1997.
David Asbury – 1996
David Asbury was linked to the murder of Marion Ross after his fingerprint was identified
on a gift tag in her home and a latent print found on a candy tin in David Asbury’s home
was identified as that of Marion Ross. During the trial, the identification of a latent print
from a door frame was identified as belonging to Detective Shirley McKie. Ms. McKie
insisted this identification was erroneous. Subsequently, the previous identifications were
questioned and the identification of the print on the candy tin was declared to be
erroneous. Despite the uncertainty of the fingerprint evidence, David Asbury was found
guilty of murder and sentenced to life. In 2000, after spending 3 years in jail, Asbury won
an appeal and his conviction was eventually overturned. The SCRO, who made the
identifications, stands by their conclusions. In January 2006 it was reported that a 3rd
erroneous ID was made on a banknote linking Asbury to the murder. This was later
reported as false information.
Over 10 years after the murder the identifications were still under dispute and a resolution
seemed impossible. In April 2007, the examiners involved in this case were asked to
resign. 4 of the 6 examiners (Robert McKenzie, Allan Dunbar, Hugh McPherson and
Charlie Stewart) took a redundancy package. One examiner, Tony McKenna, agreed to
be redeployed to Strathclyde Police. Fiona McBride refused to accept another job at 1/3
of her salary and was fired on May 1, 2007. Fiona McBride is pursuing legal action.
Clapham – 1993
On Nov.9, 1993 the South Wales Argus reported the erroneous identification in the
“Newport betting shop murder” trial. The victim of the murder was 24 year old Sian
Collier, manager of the betting shop. William Ervin, a New Scotland Yard fingerprint
bureau expert, blamed his erroneous identification of Clapham on an inability to see
properly. When he re-examined the evidence during the trial (Oct. 28, 1993), he noticed
his mistake but did not immediately notify the courts.
Susan May (Suspect) – 1993
On March 12, 1992, Susan May discovered the body of her aunt, Hilda Marchbank, in her
aunt’s house which had been ransacked. After Ms. May’s fingerprints were identified at
the scene by the Greater Manchester Police as being left in blood, she was arrested,
charged with murder, found guilty, and received a life sentence. Susan May was released
from prison in May 2005 after serving the minimum time required. Her conviction remains
in doubt because the tests to determine the matrix of the fingerprints, the substance
deposited by the finger when leaving the fingerprint, were not specific enough to support
the conclusion that the fingerprints were deposited in blood.
Neville Lee – 1991
In 1991, based on fingerprint evidence, Nottinghamshire police arrested Neville Lee for
raping an 11-year old girl. He was released only after someone else confessed to the
crime.
Barry Bowden – 1988
Bowden spent 13 months in jail after a fingerprint impression from the 1985 homicide
scene of Remus and Blanche Adams was identified as Bowden’s in Fayetteville, NC. The
identification came after Joseph Vestal implicated Bowden. Bowden’s attorney asked that
the fingerprint evidence be independently examined. The original examiner, John
Trogdon, then attempted to demonstrate the identification and realized the error.
The Scientific Sleuthing Newsletter, volume 12, number 2, spring 1988
Mike Barrett – 1988
In North Carolina, officials had to reconsider 159 criminal cases because local authorities
discovered questionable fingerprint identifications. [FN110] The fingerprint
misidentification resulted in two murder charges being dropped by the district attorney’s
office.
[FN110]. Barry Bowden and Mike Barrett, Fingerprint Errors Raise Questions on Local
Convictions, FAYETTEVILLE TIMES, Jan. 15, 1988.
James E. McDonald – 1987
In 1987, Kara Laczynski, a 24 year old newspaper reporter, was murdered. Joseph
Lomax was charged with the crime. Several FBI fingerprint experts determined that a
fingerprint found on the murder weapon, a pair of scissors, belonged to Lomax. James
E. McDonald, the Hartford, Connecticut fingerprint expert, said the fingerprint on the
scissors did not belong to Lomax; it was his print that he unintentionally deposited when
processing the crime scene. McDonald was asked to resign due to the disputed
fingerprint conclusion. After his resignation, McDonald testified for the defense in three
trials against Lomax, none of which resulted in a conviction. The last trial was in 1991.
Michael Cooper – 1986
In 1986, Michael Cooper was wrongfully arrested as the Prime Time Rapist, when his
fingerprints were erroneously identified by the Tucson Police Department as those from
the Prime Time Rapist crime scenes. Within one day of his arrest it was found that the
prints did not match. Three people were given administrative sanctions, Supervisor Gene
Scott was demoted to identification technician, Timothy O’Sullivan was demoted and
Mary McCall was given a two days suspension.
The Scientific Sleuthing Newsletter, volume 12, number 2, spring 1988
Bruce Basden – 1986
In June 1985 Bruce Basden was arrested and indicted for the murders of Remus and
Blanche Adams in Fayetteville North Caroliana on the basis of a fingerprint found in the
decedents’ home. [FN113] Basden’s*53 attorney requested funds to have the fingerprint
evidence reappraised and filed a motion to discover the physical evidence in the
possession of the state. [FN114] “At this point the state’s fingerprint expert made
enlargements of the prints from which he had made an identification of Basden as the
intruder …. The state’s expert admitted that he found unexplained dissimilarities along
with similarities in the prints.” [FN115] These discrepancies caused him to change his
mind. The state subsequently dismissed all charges against Basden, who had been
incarcerated in the local jail for thirteen months. [FN116]
http://www.law-forensic.com/expert_malpractice_1.htm#FN;F4 08-07-2004
Glen Thompson – 1985
As reported in the Oct. 1985 ID News, Dallas Examiner Glen Thompson erroneously
verified a latent identification when his coworkers were playing a trick on him. The
incident lead to a complete review of all identifications in the Dallas, Texas Latent Unit
since 1983, when the unit was formed.
Roger Caldwell – 1981
In 1977, Caldwell was convicted of 2 counts of murder partly based on latent print
evidence from an envelope. The latent prints in question were developed and identified
by Steven Sedlacek. A defense expert, Ronald Welbaum, agreed with the identification.
During the trial of a co-defendant (Caldwell’s wife), it was discovered that the original
latent had faded and another fingerprint expert testified that the images on the negatives
were very poor but his opinion was that they did not match Caldwell’s prints. In 1981 or
1982, the Minnesota Supreme Court granted Caldwell a new trial. In a plea agreement
Caldwell plead guilty in exchange for time served. In 1988, Caldwell committed suicide
still proclaiming his innocence. Steven Sedlacek’s and Ronald Welbaum’s IAI
certifications were revoked over this incident along with another certified examiner named
Claude Cook. Cook was decertified for submitting communication in support of the
erroneous identification (Cole, “Suspect Identities” 2001). In 2003, DNA testing was done
on the envelope and it was determined that the DNA on the adhesive portion of the
envelope did belong to Caldwell.
William Stevens – 1926
In 1926, Stevens was one of several suspects in a double murder case known as the
Hall-Mills murders (New Jersey 1922). Retired Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph
Faurot, along with Lieutenant Fred Drewen and Edward H. Schwartz, erroneously
identified a latent print on key evidence to William Stevens. J.H. Taylor and Gerhardt
Kuhne (brother of Frederick Kuhne) testified for the defense in this trial. William Stevens
and the other suspects were acquitted and the double murder was never solved.