Wayne Williams Case Analysis

The fiber evidence presented in this case was so overwhelming and simply was the driving force leading to Wayne Williams conviction. I do not believe the prosecution would have been able to obtain the same results without it. The credibility of the FBI forensics investigators and their reputable crime lab made for excellent testimony concerning the fiber evidence at trail, which the defense was simply ill prepared to counter attack its merits (The Atlanta, n.d.). Other evidence was presented in this case, and much of this evidence while certainly impactful on the case and to members of the jury, this evidence alone without the fiber evidence would surely not have held up to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt.

In a murder case where an 18-year-old, Sarah Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for committing a first degree murder for both her and dad. The case reopened when a retired crime lab technician Michael Howard “testified that whoever shot Diane and Alan Johnson at close range on September 2, 2003, would have been hit by a "rain" of blood spatter” (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/03/johnson/index.html?eref=sitesearch). Howard came up with his theories proving that, Sarah was not even close in committing those murders and it is a wrongful conviction. Based on blood spatter, Howard disclosed that the shooting which took place was at a very close range and blood would have been all over the assailant, where as there was no blood pattern found on Sarah’s clothes. In fact, the pajama pant, Sarah was wearing on the day of shooting had no trace of her parent’s DNA or blood. According to Howard, being in that kind of shooting environment and get no blood on your body is not possible and lab researchers say that there was no blood on Sarah’s clothes. However, there was DNA found on Sarah’s bathrobe which Howard was unaware of and defense prosecutors in return questioned Howard’s creditability. Howard brought up the issue regarding collecting the evidence and also countered defense by questioning on their integrity on the state’s investigations. Howard’s contributions helped in reopening the case

Fred Zain was a forensic lab technician that worked for both the states of West Virginia and Texas. A man who did a job he was severely under qualified for, for ten years, and who was thought to be a start asset in his line of work.Fred Zain had testified in countless cases, presenting himself well and appeared to know his trade so well that no one in the courtroom questioned the lab results obtained by Zain. It is very well known that his actions in court are viewed as unethical by today’s standards. In his time of employment, Fred Zain acquired a lengthy rap sheet of tampering and falsifying evidence, false convictions. Fred Zain was a man who would do anything and everything to convict anyone he saw as guilty. A man who did so until his lies and deceit finally caught up with him.

In 1989, former NSW police superintendent Harold James Blackburn was arrested and charged with 25 crimes under the Crimes Act 1900 which took place over a matter of nearly 20 years (New South Wales 1990). The charges included the crime of rape at Georges Hall in 1969 and sexual assault at Sutherland in 1985, as the Crimes Act 1900 had been updated during the periods of time that the alleged crimes took place (New South Wales 1990). When the case was presented to court in 1989, the Director of Public Prosecutions offered no evidence and the magistrate discharged Mr Blackburn on all charges (New South Wales 1990). A royal commission was established in 1990 to investigate the events and determine how an investigation could have failed to the

On July 29, 2003 Detective Jason Leavitt was a part of a decoy operation with an undercover arrest team ; he was dressed on black jeans, a dirty short- sleeved flannel shirt on top of a dirty-t shirt, and a baseball cap to apart as a drunk homeless man . Detective Leavitt carried Twenty one-dollar bills in his breast pocket, to attract a thief. Leavitt was on the block of 200 Main St across from the Greyhound station. The Appellant Richard Miller approached Detective Leavitt on this very street to ask him for money. Detective Leavitt told Miller he was not going to give him an money, Leavitt testified that the appellant put his arm around him and asked him to go get a drink. While doing so Miller took Detective Leavitt twenty dollars, and proceeded to ask him for the money again; but Leavitt told Miller once again no but this time because it was gone. The undercover arrest time pulled up to the scene and took the appellant into custody, he was charged with larceny.

A review of the events involving the North Charleston, S. Carolina Whitlee Jones murder case as it applies to the Tennessee “stand your ground” statute brings several factors into question. As indicated in the article, South Carolina’s law as does Tennessee’s states that a person having reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm can use deadly force on the unlawful intruder. However, this does not apply to a lawful resident or a person who has a legal right to be in the dwelling, business, or auto (Knapp, 2014). As Jones indicates she removes herself from the danger on several occasions, yet she continues to return, placing herself once again in position to receive serious injury or death from her boyfriend who is legally occupying the

The prosecutors in the Wayne Williams case presented evidence and witnesses in the case. None of the witnesses, in this case, witnessed Wayne Williams commit any murders. The witnesses were there to testify about what they noticed Wayne Williams do, that was not normal or unusual. The testimony which was the most damaging was Angelo Foster who was a former press secretary to the mayor. He gave information about a conversation that he had with the defendant’s father. This conversation took place at the office of the federal Bureau of investigation on June 3, 1981. Wayne Williams father Homer Williams stated that when his son came home, he had told him that he was stopped by the police because he stopped on the bridge to get rid of some trash.

In 1892, a young woman named Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 2). This accusation was influenced by the lack of evidence at the scene of the crime. There appeared to be no murder weapon, very few witnesses, and the house did not show any signs of an intruder (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 5). Once the scene was investigated, it was determined that the cause of death for both victims was multiple blows to the head by an axe. Two axes were found in the home, and neither had a speck of blood (“Lizzie Borden on Trial” 14). As it were, there was not enough evidence to convict a killer, nor was there enough evidence to convict Lizzie Borden. She was declared not guilty (“Lizzie Borden on Trial”

In order for the people whose job it is to determine innocence or guilt of a person need more than just expert testimony in the form of a long drawn out explanation. Videos, photographs, or audio recordings are all helpful tools when presenting a case to a jury. In this case with Andrea Yates, there was so much evidence presented that could either have a positive or negative effect on the outcome of the trial. Prosecuting attorneys gave the jurors quite a horrific scene to digest mentally. Andrea Yates taped confession of the murdering of her five children were played for the jurors. In this she explained that she felt she was actually saving her children from being punished for having what she believed was an unfit mother. The 911 call Mrs. Yates made after the crime was also played for the jury. The jurors were also shown the actual crime scene photos of where the murders took place, as well as the how the mother of these five children laid them by each other after she drowned them one by one. The jury was shown videos of more normal times for the family, when things seemed to be going well. Expert testimony also played a role in the outcome of the first trial. The evidence presented in this case was able to help the jury come to a decision when determining Mrs. Yates final

Innocence is is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. Being convicted of a crime and found not guilty later on can frustrate the convict and the convict’s family as the time spent behind bars, is time they will never get back.

Bath, N.Y. (WENY) -- In a few days Thomas Clayton will be sentenced for his role in orchestrating his wife 's death. However on Thursday, the attorney for the convicted murderer made his first motion for a new trial.

Yesterday, Sloan Jackson, age 18 was put on trial for stealing a shirt from Famous Fashions in Merchandise Mall. He supposedly ran out of the store with a lump (which was the same color as the stolen shirt) in his jacket to go to Record Mart because there was a big sale going on. He then was found sitting next to the yogurt stand and the shirt was found in a trash barrel near the yogurt stand. He then ran away from the security guard but he was in the end caught and brought back to the store to return the shirt. At the trial yesterday the jury came to a verdict of being guilty after talking in the jury room for about 10 minutes. He could possibly be sentences to 4 years in prison or he might need to pay a fine of up to $2,000 or both.

Although Wayne Williams was convicted for killing 2 adults, the Atlanta Child Murders began in July of 1979 after the bodies of 2 children were found hidden under the bushes of at the side of an Atlanta road. (Biography.com Editors, 2015). For the next 22 months the city and FBI would find 29 victims suspected of being murdered by Wayne Williams a free-lance photographer and hopeful music producer with a criminal record of impersonating the police. (unknown, 2014). 14-year-old Edward Smith was found shot by a .22 caliber weapon and 13-year-old Alfred Evan was found murdered by asphyxiation these deaths sparked the beginnings of a string of child murders that would rock Atlanta to its core. (Biography.com Editors, 2015). On September 14th Milton Harvey disappeared, only to be found 2 months later dead.

Wayne Williams was found guilty of the killing of two people. Even years after William’s still tries to persuade the idea of him being innocent. Just like fingerprints, hair analysis is following the same path. I think that DNA fingerprints will become bigger and more accurate of accusing killers, the use of hair analysis will decrease, but I do not think hair analysis should be taken away. It is another form of evidence to help solidify and crack down the killer. The defense could have put more emphasis on the statement that William’s parents knew his son was home and that they had the vehicle and maybe that could cause more of the idea of him being framed. If I was a juror I know that Williams reaction in the courtroom would set me on

“If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the