Forensic Science's Hall of Shame

(New research indicates that incompetent people tend not to know they are incompetent)

 

Michael West

Forensic Dentist, Mississippi 

Fingerprint Fabricators

Joyce Gilchrist

Forensic Chemist, Oklahoma City Crime Laboratory

Ira S. Dubay

Deputy Director, Suffolk County Crime Lab 

Ralph Erdmann

Coroner, Texas  

Louis Robbins

Forensic Anthropologist  

John St. Valentine Brown

Forensic Toxicologist, Washington DC Police Dept.

Arnold Melnikoff

Lab Director, Montana State Police Crime Lab

Karla Carmichael

DNA Analyst, Fort Worth Crime Lab

John Fitzpatrick

DNA Analyst, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Lab

Concepcion Bacasnot

Forensic Chemist, Baltimore County Crime Laboratory

Dr. Charles Randal Smith

Forensic Pathologist, Canada

Joan Wood

Forensic Pathologist, Pinellas County and Pasco County, Florida 

Michael Stelter

Coroner, Winnebago Co., WI

Jack Patterson

Fingerprint Examiner, Wisconsin State Police Crime Lab

Allison Lancaster

Forensic Chemist, San Francisco Crime Lab

Judith McMorris

Forensic chemist, New York State Police Crime Lab

Sandra Anderson

Dog Handler/ Director, Great Lakes Search and Rescue, Michigan

Fulton A. McCants; aka F. Aurelius McKanze

Handwriting expert

Sgt. Dusty Hesskew

Crime Reconstruction Expert, Austin Police Dept., TX

Howard Bruce Ollick-Forensic Toxicologist Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab

Gary S. Stocco

Burn Expert, Executive Director, National Burn Victim Foundation

Dr. Kuppareddi Balamurugan

DNA Analyst, Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency

Dr. Faidherbe Ceus

Director of Emergency Services, Psychiatric Unit Westchester Medical Center, New York

Washington State Patrol Crime Lab

Dr. Charles Harlan

Forensic Pathologist, Nashville, Tennessee

Houston Crime Lab

Professor Sir Roy Meadow

Forensic Pediatrician, United Kingdom

The FBI

Angelo K. Ozoa

Forensic Pathologist, Santa Clara County Chief Medical Examiner

West Virginia State Police Crime Lab

Paul Britton

Criminal Profiler, United Kingdom

Chicago Crime Lab

 


Michael West-Forensic Dentist, Mississippi 

 

Steven Kroft, Forensic evidence; skepticism surrounding Dr. Michael West's use of bite mark analysis in murder cases, 60 Minutes, Feb. 17, 2003

Andrew Murr, A Dentist Takes the Stand, Newsweek, Aug. 20, 2001, at 24

Sotos, Expert Witness to Face Malicious Prosecution Suit, Chi. Daily L. Bull. 6, Jan. 16, 2003. 

Mark Hansen, Out of the Blue, ABA J., Feb. 1996, at 50

Meet Michael H. West, DDS - The Courtroom Blue-Light Special

John Stossel, Junk Science: What You Know That May Not Be So Scientific-Theories That May Be Wrong, ABC News, Aug. 28, 1997

 

Marcia Colye, 'Expert' Science Under Fire in Capital Cases; Daubert vs. Frye, Nat. L.J., July 11, 1994, at A1

 

Investigator tossed sandwich, so murder conviction tossed, Baton Rouge Advoc., Dec. 15, 1997

 

Steve Cannizaro, Buras Man May Beat Murder Rap a Second Time, New Orleans Time-Picayune, Dec. 21, 1996

 

Steve Cannizaro, Murder Witness' Fairness Questioned, New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 10, 1996

 

Joanne Weiss, Forensic Tests Are Questioned in Murder Case, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Sept. 30, 1994

 

Gill, Was the Right to a Fair Trial Denied?, New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 12, 1994

 

Carlos A. Campos, Husband is guilty in killing-Jury to decide Keko's sentence, New Orleans Time Picayune, Oct. 11, 1993

Carlos A. Capmos, Buras Oysterman heading for trial in wife's murder, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Apr. 17, 1993

Carlos A. Campos, Defense Questions Bite-Mark Evidence For Murder Case, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Jan. 9, 1993

 

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Fingerprint Fabricators

 

David Harding-State Police Officer, New York 

 

Nelson E. Roth, The New York State Police Evidence Tampering Investigation: Report to the Honorable George Pataki, Governor of the State of New York (1997)

 

Gary Spencer, New Policies for State Police Handling Evidence, N.Y.  L.J., Feb. 4, 1997

 

Police Faking Fingerprints to Solve Cases, ABC World News Tonight, Feb. 15, 1994

 

Ellen Yan, Probe of State Cops Shows Tampering, Newsday, Feb. 4, 1997, at A19

 

Police Investigation Supervisor Admits Faking Fingerprints, N.Y. Times, July 30, 1993, at B5

Sgt. Sam A. Kaminsky-Police Officer, Garden City Police Department, Georgia

Julia C. Muller, A timeline of the Garden City Police Department, Savannah Now, June 17, 2001

 

Ben Schmitt, Man sues Garden City police over planted prints, Savannah Now, June 18, 1998


Sam A. Kaminsky, Behind The Walls Looking For Friends, Letter written from Wayne State Prison, describing his circumstances and looking for companionship

 

Metro and Georgia in brief, Atlanta J & Const., Jan. 20, 1997, at 05B

 

The week in Georgia, Atlanta J. & Const., Dec. 7, 1997, at 02F

Ray Edwards-Georgia law enforcement officer

Police Faking Fingerprints to Solve Cases, ABC World News Tonight, Feb. 15, 1994

Jesus Durazo-Arizona law enforcement officer 

Police Faking Fingerprints to Solve Cases, ABC World News Tonight, Feb. 15, 1994

Diana Boyd Monaghan-Forensic Examiner, Texas Department of Public Safety

 

Jonathan Osborne, Perry to decide if DPS lab must face legislative inquiry, Austin American-Statesman, Jan. 4, 2001, at B7 (discussing how Diana Boyd Monaghan a former Texas Department of Public Safety analyst faces criminal charges for falsifying fingerprint reports)

 

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Joyce Gilchrist--Forensic Chemist, Oklahoma City Crime Laboratory

 

Dan Rather, Under the microscope; forensics scientist Joyce Gilchrist's lab work is under scrutiny, 60 Minutes II, July 24, 2002

 

Arnold Hamilton, Chemist's errors stir fear: Were innocent executed?, Dallas Morning News, Oct. 22, 2001, at 1A

 

Associated Press, Police Chemist Accused of Shoddy Work Is Fired, N.Y. Times, Sept. 26, 2001, at A16

 

Henry Weinstein, Evidence Questioned in Execution, L.A. Times, Aug. 30, 2001, at A1

 

Diana Baldwin, Gilchrist faces more scrutiny Review ordered in three death-row cases, Daily Oklahoman, July 17, 2001

 

Bill Hewitt et al., Shadow of Doubt; An expert's testimony convicted an innocent man. Was he the only victim?, People, May 28, 2001, at 58

 

Belinda Luscombe et al., When The Evidence Lies, Joyce Gilchrist helped send dozens to death row. The forensic scientist's errors are putting capital punishment under the microscope, Time, May 21, 2001, at 38

 

Jennifer L. Brown, Oklahoma Police Chemist Under Probe, Associated Press, Apr. 27, 2001

 

Randy Ellis, Forensic chemist’s work criticized, Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), Sept. 5, 1999

 

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Chicago Crime Lab

 

Pamela Fish-Biochemistry Section Chief, Illinois State Police (formerly with the Chicago Lab)

 

Steve Mills, Report Alleges Crime Lab Fraud; Scientist Is Accused of Providing False Testimony, Chi. Trib., Jan. 14, 2001, at 1 (discussing Fish’s fraudulent and egregious conduct)

 

Maurice Possley, Ex-Inmate Exonerated of Rapes Tries To Get His Life In Order, Chi. Trib., June 29, 2000, at 4 (detailing how John Willis’s wrongful conviction was due in large part to Fish’s purposely misleading testimony)

 

Steve Mills, 4 cleared in Roscetti case file suit, Chi. Trib., Jan. 19, 2002, at 1 (discussing how Fish’s false testimony led to Marcellius Bradford, Larry Ollins, Calvin Ollins and Omar Saunders’ wrongful convictions)

 

Dateline NBC, The Who Truth?, Dec. 11, 2001

 

Dateline NBC, And Justice For All?, Dec. 6, 2002

 

Maurice Possley & Jeremy Manier, Police Crime Lab on the Hot Seat-Evidence Favoring Defendant Omitted, Chi.Trib., Oct. 9, 1998, at 1

 

Maurice Possley & Ken Armstrong, Lab Tech in Botched Case Promoted-Testimony Helped Wrongfully Convict Man of Rape, Chi. Trib., Mar. 19, 1999, at 1

 

Maurice Possley & Steve Mills, Crime Lab Analyst Hit As 3 Seek New Trials-Testimony Disputed in '86 Slaying Case, Chi. Trib., Jan. 27, 2001, at 5

 

Steve Mills & Maurice Possley, State Police Plan Review of 9 Cases-Questions Raised About Lab Worker's Reports, Testimony, Chi. Trib., Jan. 18, 2001, at 3

 

Judith Graham, Crime labs contaminate justice Poor science, quality control jailing innocents, Chi. Trib., June 21, 2001, at 10

 

Maurice Possley, Crime Lab Defends itself, analyst City unit cited in allegations, Chi. Trib., July 20, 2001, at 1

 

Steve Mills, Crime lab analyst moved Worker who is under fire sent to research post, Chi. Trib., Aug. 16, 2001, at 1

Maurice Possley & Steve Mills, DNA test rules out 4 inmates, Chi. Trib., Nov. 14, 2001, at 1

Margaret Cronin Fisk, Lawyer Frees Chicago Trio After Retesting of Lab Sample-Technician Had Testified in Earlier Bad Conviction, Nat'l L.J., Dec. 17, 2001, at 6

 

Mary Furlong, Forensic Serologist

 

Jones v. City of Chicago, 856 F.2d 985, 991-93 (7th Cir. 1988) (“[P]olice laboratory technician Mary Furlong… discovered that [defendant] George Jones had different semen and blood types from the types found in… [[the victim’s] vagina.  Furlong failed to include this information in the lab.”)

 

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Ralph Erdmann-Coroner, Texas  

 

Geoffrey A. Campbell, Erdmann Faces New Legal Woes: Pathologist indicted for perjury in Texas murder trial, ABA. J., Nov. 1995, at 32

 

Richard L. Fricker, Pathologist’s Plea Adds to Turmoil: Discovery of possibly hundreds of faked autopsies helps defense challenges, ABA J., Mar. 1993, at 24

 

Roberto Suro, Ripples of a Pathologist’s Misconduct in Graves and Courts of West Texas, N.Y. Times, Nov. 22, 1992, at 22

Frank Rubin, The Homicide That Almost Slipped Away, Nat. L.J., Sept. 28, 1992, at 9

Chip Brown, Pathologist Accused of Falsifying Autopsies, L.A. Times, Apr. 12, 1992, at 24

Roy Bragg, Autopsy record of pathologist who quit raises many eyebrows, Hous. Chron., Mar. 8, 1992, at 1

 

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Louis Robbins-Forensic Anthropologist  

BUCKLEY v. FITZSIMMONS et al., 509 U.S. 259, 262 (1993)

Mark Hanson, Believe It or Not, ABA Journal, June, 1993

 

Thomas Frisbie, Death penalty reform legislation won’t put an end to criticism…, Chi. Sun-Times, June 1, 2003, at  43

Maurice Possley & Ken Armstrong, Prosecution on Trial in DuPage, Chi. Trib., Jan. 12, 1999, at 1

Cristin Schmitz, Is ‘junk science’ cluttering Canadian courts? – ‘Abnormal’genitals, prehistoric footprints among areas of ‘expertise’, Lawyers Wkly, June 20, 1997

Barry Siegel, Presumed Guilty; An Illinois murder case became a test of conscience inside the system, L.A. Times, Nov. 1, 1992, at 18

Art Barnum, Footprints key in 1984 murder retrial, court told, Chi. Trib., June 8, 1989, at 1

Gayle Golden, A Burden of Proof: Courts seek standards for scientific evidence, Dallas Morning News, Apr. 4, 1988, at 1A

Barbara Mahany & John Schmeltzer, Nicarico death suspect freed; Expert too ill to testify, Buckley charges dropped, Chi. Trib., Mar. 6, 1987, at 1

Ray Gibson, Courted expert steps on toes with footprints, Chi. Trib., Apr. 6, 1986, at 1

Vicki Quade, If the shoes fits: Footprint expert testifies, ABA Journal, July, 1985

Ann Yih, Hot on the Trial: Research make strides in using footprint analysis as a legal tool, Dallas Morning News, Apr. 21, 1985, at 1F

Laura Kavesh, Shoe clues tracks are facts that lead cops to criminals, Chi. Trib., Apr. 19, 1985, at 1

 

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Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab

 

Range Houtz-DNA Analyst

 

Roomy Varghese & Matt Assad, Crime lab worker’s errors could affect cases; Bethlehem scientist’s mistakes, Allentown Morning Call, June 20, 2003, at A1

 

Marc Levy, Pa. Forensic Work Called Into Question, AP Online, June 20, 2003

 

Associated Press, Police scientist’s work on evidence questioned, Patriot-News, June 20, 2003, at B03 

 

Keith Herbert, Crime-lab mistakes spark alert Hundreds of Pa. cases may be reexamined, Phila. Inquirer, June 19, 2003, at A01

 

Keith Herbert & Jeff Shields, Troopers list cases possibly tainted A forensic scientist's work has been questioned, Phila. Inquirer, June 20, 2003, at B11

 

Mike Bucks, Hundreds of cases getting second look due to errors; criminal cases under review, Pitt. Post-Gazette, June 20, 2003, at B4 

 

Janice Roadcap-Forensic Chemist, Pennsylvania Crime Lab

 

State won't defend employees who allegedly falsified evidence, KDKA Action 2 News (Pittsburgh, PA), June 4, 2003

 

Peter Shellem, State shuns pair sued by Crawford, Patriot-News, June 4, 2003

 

Pete Shellem, Who killed Edna Laughman?, Patriot-News, June 1, 2003 (discussing how Roadcap fabricated forensic evidence)

 

Pete Shellem, Slaying retrial not certain for man in prison for 28 years, Patriot-News, June 25, 2002

 

Pete Shellem, One Life Lost ... Another Life Wasted, Patriot News, Feb. 3, 2002 (discussing an altered lab report which cost Steven Crawford 28 years of his life)

 

Pete Shellem, Hearing on report granted Ruling lifts Crawford closer to appeal, Patriot News, May 1, 2002 (discussing an altered lab report which cost Steven Crawford 28 years of his life)

 

Paul Carpenter, The experts must be more accountable, Morning Call (Allentown, PA), Dec. 16, 2001, at B1

 

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Arnold Melnikoff-Forensic Scientist & Crime Lab Director, Montana State Police Crime Lab

 

Crime lab manager draws scrutiny; Montana attorney general examines court testimony, CNN.com, May 30, 2003 (discussing how Melnikoff's erroneous hair analyses helped wrongly convict Paul Kordonowy and Jimmy Ray Bromgard)

 

Becky Bohrer, More Cases Questioned in Crime Lab Case, AP Online, May 29, 2003

 

Charlie Gillis, Scandal in the forensic labs: Hundreds of cases undergoing review in Montana, Nat’l Post, Feb. 1, 2003, at B01 (discussing Melnikoff's questionable hair testimony)

 

According to a panel of forensic scientists who reviewed his testimony after Bromgard’s exoneration, Melnikoff repeatedly used an invalid system of hair analysis to place defendants at the crime scene.  

 

Adam Liptak, DNA Will Let a Montana Man Put Prison Behind Him, but Questions Linger, N.Y. Times, Oct. 1, 2002, at A22

 

Lise Olsen, Crime lab worker failed to qualify to test hair samples, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 2, 2003, at A1

 

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Karla Carmichael-DNA Analyst, Fort Worth Crime Lab

 

Melody McDonald, DNA test sways prosecutors, Star-Telegram (Ft. Worth, TX), Oct. 10, 2002, at 1

 

Deanna Boyd, Crime lab subject of criminal inquiry Star-Telegram (Ft. Worth, TX), Apr. 13, 2003, at 1

 

Deanna Boyd, Scientist at crime lab is fired Star-Telegram (Ft. Worth, TX), Apr. 22, 2003, at 1

 

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John Fitzpatrick-DNA Analyst, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Lab

 

Anthony Colarossi, Defense calls for new trial in rape case, Orlando Sentinel, Nov. 26, 2002, at B2 (noting how Fitzpatrick cheated on an FDLE proficiency test)

 

Rene Stutzman, State DNA analyst’s data forgeries could result in new trial for rapist, Orlando Sentinel, July 25, 2002, at A1(discussing how Fitzpatrick’s cheating could garner a new trial for convicted child rapist Bruce Hunsicker).  

 

Rene Stutzman, Judge Rips FDLE Silence in Lab Flap, Orlando Sentinel, Aug. 3, 2002, at A1 (discussing how the FDLE tried to cover up Fitzpatrick's transgressions)

 

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Concepcion Bacasnot-Forensic Chemist, Baltimore County Crime Laboratory

 

Stephanie Hanes, Ex-crime lab chemist’s work questioned, Balt. Sun, Feb. 22, 2003, at 1B (highlighting that Bacasnot’s blood typing testimony in Bernard Webster's wrongful conviction was “‘at the very least, suggestive of gross incompetence, and at worst, deliberate fraud.’”)

 

Stephanie Hanes, Chemist quit crime lab job after hearing, papers show; She acknowledged report was ‘worthless’ in 1987, Balt. Sun, Mar. 19, 2003, at 1B (noting that Bacasnot “left the [Baltimore County police crime lab]…  four months after acknowledging she did not understand the science of her forensic tests and that her blood work in a death-penalty case was ‘worthless’”)

 

Stephanie Hanes, Balto. Co. reviews cases tied to chemist; Former police researcher criticized for testimony against man later freed, Balt. Sun, Mar. 12, 2003, at 3B

 

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Dr. Charles Randal Smith-Forensic Pathologist, Canada

 

Jane O’Hara, How the faulty findings of an eminent pathologist led to erroneous murder charges and ruined lives, Maclean’s, May 14, 2001, at 54 (discussing how Louis Reynolds was wrongly accused of stabbing to death her seven-year-old daughter, Sharon, when Dr. Charles Randal Smith misinterpreted 80 dog bites to be 80 stab wounds.  Reynolds had spent 3 1/2 years in custody because of the outlandish charge)

 

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Professor Sir Roy Meadow-Forensic Pediatrician, United Kingdom

 

Editorial, Expert evidence on trial, Community Care (UK), July 3, 2003, at 5

 

Editorial, Doubts emerge over expert witness, Community Care (UK), July 3, 2003, at 6

 

Accused parents' anger at 'Godlike' experts, Daily Mail (London), July 1, 2003, at 18

 

Rebecca Allison, Wrongly accused parents demand public inquiry, The Guardian (London), July 1, 2003, at 7

 

Sue Reid, The Childsnatcher-in-chief, Daily Mail (London), June 30, 2003, at 30-31

 

Lyndsay Moss, Parents accused of child abuse want public inquiry, Press Association, June 30, 2003

 

Sophie Goodchild & Tom Matthews, Lack of experts leads to false charges over child deaths,  Independent on Sunday (London), June 29, 2003, at 4

 

John Sweeney, Without Prejudice: Cot deaths and justice: Crown prosecutors use Sir Roy Meadow as their expert witness in infant fatalities. They shouldn't, The Observer, June 15, 2003, at 27

 

Dani Garavelli, Don’t trust me-I’m an expert medical witness, Scotland on Sunday, June 15, 2003, at 17

 

David Cohen, Medical expert in the firing line; Patel pediatrician faces questions over family who had four children taken away, Evening Standard (London), June 12, 2003, at 6

 

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Joan Wood-Forensic Pathologist, Pinellas County and Pasco County, Florida 

 

Medical examiner’s apparent mistakes put man in jail, ABC Action News Report (Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL), Nov. 21, 2002 (discussing how Wood's erroneous and grossly negligent autopsy interpretations lead to David Long's wrongful conviction)

 

Another man jailed because of medical examiner’s mistake, ABC Action News Report (Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL), Nov. 23, 2002 (discussing how Wood's erroneous and grossly negligent autopsy interpretations lead to John Peel's wrongful conviction)

 

Cary Davis & Chase Squires, Decisions made in and out of courts, St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 31, 2002, at 1

 

Attorney: Action News report helped King win stay of execution, ABC Action News Report (Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL), Dec. 3, 2002

 

Cary Davis, Baby case hinges on missing witness, St. Petersburg Times, May 7, 2001, at 3B

 

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Angelo K. Ozoa-Forensic Pathologist, Santa Clara County Chief Medical Examiner

 

Matthew B. Stannard, Board finds ex-coroner's work lacking; Husband charged after 1995 autopsy, San. Fran. Chron., July 30, 2002, at A13

 

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Michael Stelter-Coroner, Winnebago Co., WI

 

Wisconsin v. Pease,  620 N.W.2d 482 (Wis.App. 2000)

Gina Bartin, Coroner's mistake haunts campaign: Testimony about error contradicts what Paulus was told in 1990 meetings, documents show, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 1, 2002, at 01A

 

Autopsy sought in 12-year-old murder, Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), Nov. 10, 1998, at 3B

 

Dennis McCann, Even ashes of victim were denied peace, Milwaukee J. Sentinel, July 17, 1996, at 1

 

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Jack Patterson-Fingerprint Examiner, Wisconsin State Police Crime Lab

 

Timothy W. Maier, Federal Judge Slams Fingerprint ‘Science”, Insight on the News, Mar. 18, 2002, at 20 (discussing how Jack R. Patterson, a former Wisconsin State Police crime-lab fingerprint analyst skipped dye/laser and immersion tests and then claimed in his reports that he had conducted the tests)

 

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Allison Lancaster-Forensic Chemist, San Francisco Crime Lab

 

Herron Zamora, Lab scandal jeopardizes integrity of S.F. justice Sting uncovered bogus certification, S.F. Examiner, Sept. 16, 1994, at A-7 (noting how forensic chemist Allison Lancaster would certify evidence as illegal drugs without performing the required chemical tests)

 

A. Clay Thompson. Crime bomb: Police crime labs are churning out tainted evidence – and nobody's doing anything about it, SFBG.com, November 22, 2000

 

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Judith McMorris-Forensic chemist, New York State Police Crime Lab

 

John O’Brien, State Police Suspend Chemist Judith McMorris Flunked Two Proficiency Tests, Official Say, Raising Questions About Her Past Analyses of Drugs, Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)., Oct. 11, 1998, at B-1 (detailing how New York State Police forensic chemist Judith McMorris falsely reported in at least two cases that she fully analyzed the drugs when she did not)

 

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Dr. Kuppareddi Balamurugan-DNA Analyst, Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency

 

Indianapolis police reviewing DNA evidence in more than 60 cases, CNN.com, July 18, 2003

 

 Crime lab to retest DNA in 64 cases, United Press International, July 18, 2003

 

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Washington State Patrol Crime Lab

 

Michael Hoover-Forensic Chemist

 

Catherine Tarpley & Janet Burkitt, 11-month sentence for former crime-lab chemist; His heroin thefts led to dismissal of many drug cases, Seattle Times, Nov. 29, 2001, at B2

 

Tina Potterf, Crime Lab Junkie?, Seattle Weekly, Jan. 25, 2001, at 00

 

Associated Press, Lab chemist pleads not guilty in heroin case, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Feb. 9, 2001

 

Dr. John Brown-DNA Analyst

 

Alex Fryer, Rapist convicted on DNA profile alone, Seattle Times, June 1, 2000, at A1

 

Alex Fryer, State scientist's lie will force retesting in serial-killing case, Seattle Times, Sept. 30, 2002, at B6

 

Janet Burkitt, Drug use tainted evidence in state crime lab, Seattle Times, July 11, 2001, at B1

 

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Paul Britton-Criminal Profiler, United Kingdom

 

Colin Evans, A Question of Evidence: The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J. 200-13 (2003) 

 

Michael Ribbeck, Cracker in the dock over Rachel Nickell; Criminal psychologist accused of professional misconduct, Western Daily Press, Oct. 30, 2002, at 7

 

Adrian Lee, Anger over Nickell Case ‘Cracker’; Colin Stagg storms out of hearing, The Express, Oct. 30, 2002, at 23

 

Nick Craven & Stephen Wright, Is this Rachel’s killer?, Daily Mail (London), June 22, 2002, at 20-21

 

Steven Morris, The jigsaw man: Paul Britton is a real-life version of Fitz, the criminal psychologist played by Robbie Coltrane in Cracker, The Guardian (London), Nov. 30, 2000, at 6

 

John Crace, Inside the criminal mind; forensic psychology, New Statesman & Society, Feb. 17, 1995, at 29

 

Mike Taylor, Lord Taylor cautions over suspect ‘profiling’, Press Association, Nov. 1, 1994

 

Nick Gordon, Prophets getting a poor profile, Sunday Times, Sept. 25, 1994

 

Rachel ‘cop-flop’ adviser hits back; Criminal psychologist Paul Britton defends his part in Rachel Nickell Murder case, The People, Sept. 18, 1994, at 4

 

John Sweeney, Why the police hunters took aim at Stagg, The Observer, Sept. 18, 1994, at 21

 

Andrew Pierce, Psychologist was brains behind 'deviant' letters, The Times, Sept. 15, 1994

 

Stephen Ward, Man freed as Nickell murder trial collapses, The Independent (London), Sept. 15, 1994, at 1

 

Nick Cohen, Without Prejudice: Shrink rapping: Why on Earth is the Government listening to these flawed psychologists?, The Observer, Sept. 10, 2000, at 31

 

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Fulton A. McCants; aka F. Aurelius McKanze-Forensic handwriting expert

 

James Ewinger, Bogus expert witness pleads guilty to perjury, Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), Oct. 27, 1999, at 1B

 

James Ewinger, Perjurer accused of lying again; notes from doctors fake, prosecutors say, Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), Nov. 30, 1999, at 1B

 

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Sgt. Dusty Hesskew-Crime Reconstruction Expert, Austin Police Dept., TX

 

David McLemore, Testimony concludes in Mowbray retrial with forensic experts, Dallas Morning News, Jan. 22, 1998, at 11A

 

David McLemore, Mowbray’s 2nd murder trial begins; Prosecutors still dispute widow's suicide defense, Dallas Morning News, Jan. 13, 1998, at 13A

 

Against All Odds, NBC Dateline, Aug. 29, 1997

 

David McLemore, Mowbray released from prison; After 9 years behind bars, Texan revels in freedom, Dallas Morning News, May 17, 1997, at 1A

 

Bob Banta, Austin blood expert’s work criticized in case overturned on appeal, Austin American-Statesman, Jan. 15, 1996, at B1

 

Associated Press, He’s been called “Texas’ top blood detective,” San Antonio Express-News, Jan. 11, 1996, at 1

 

David McLemore, A quest for freedom; Son spends 8 years fighting mom's murder verdict; allegations of misleading testimony central to case, Dallas Morning News, Nov. 25, 1995, at 1A

 

Ex parte Mowbray, 943 S.W.2d 461 (Tx. Ct. Crim. App. 1996)

 

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Howard Bruce Ollick-Forensic Toxicologist

 

Henry Fitzgerald, Witness faces charges of lying; Officials uncover false credentials, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Mar. 5, 1998, at 1B

 

Henry Fitzgerald, Phony ‘expert’ jailed for 3 years, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Dec. 1, 1998, at 3B

 

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John St. Valentine Brown-Forensic Toxicologist, Washington DC Police Dept.

 

Bill Miller, Accused of Perjury, Police Expert Resigns, Wash. Post, July 23, 1999, at B01

 

Bill Miller, D.C. Police Expert Admits Perjury; Top Witness in Narcotics Cases Pleads Guilty to Lying About His Credentials, Wash. Post, Feb. 11, 2000, at B03

 

Bill Miller, Ex-Detective Faces New Deceit Charges; Phony Letters Allegedly Sent to Judge, Wash. Post, Jan. 5, 2001, at B4

 

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Gary S. Stocco-Burn Expert, Executive Director, National Burn Victim Foundation

 

William T. Quinn & David Ress, Burn foundation exec faces perjury counts  -  Virginia says he lied about his credentials, The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 20, 2000

 

Josh White, Alleged Burn Expert Faces Second Perjury Charge; Officials Say Witness Falsified Credentials, Wash. Post, Aug. 9, 2000, at V03

 

Josh White, Fake Burn Expert Gets Probation for Lying in Court; Perjury Case Could Lead To Prosecution Elsewhere, Wash. Post, Jan. 13, 2001, at T3

 

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Ira S. Dubay-Deputy Director, Suffolk County Crime Lab 

 

Thomas J. Maier & Joshua Quittner, Crime 'Expert' Admits Lying on Credentials Felony convictions endangered , Newsday, April 15, 1987

 

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Dr. Faidherbe Ceus-Director of Emergency Services, Psychiatric Unit Westchester Medical Center, New York

 

Doctor jailed for perjury is stripped of his license, Associated Press, June 19, 2003

 

Jane Lerner, Nanuet doctor loses medical license, The Journal News, June 19, 2003

 

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Sandra Anderson-Dog Handler/ Director, Great Lakes Search and Rescue, Michigan

 

John Flesher, ‘It was very much a betrayal’; Celebrated trainer, handler of cadaver dogs stands accused of planting bones at scene, Akron Beacon J., Aug. 30, 2003, at 5

 

Tamara Audi, Digging for the truth, Detroit Free Press, July 18, 2003

 

Tamara Audi, Bones of Contention: Cadaver-sniffing canine's finds are under suspicion; Handler of world-famous dog is charged with planting evidence, Det. Free Press, July 14, 2003

 

Richard W. Jaeger, Key witness accused of faking other evidence, Wis. St. J., July 5, 2003, at B1

 

David Ashenfelter, Planting of homicide evidence is alleged, Detroit Free Press, June 24, 2003

 

David Ashenfelter, Director of search team is charged with faking evidence, Detroit Free Press, June 23, 2003 

 

Kymberli Hagelberg, Expert accused of faking evidence, Akron Beacon-Journal, June 28, 2003

 

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Dr. Charles Harlan-Forensic Pathologist, Nashville, Tennessee

 

Rob Johnson, Worlds of court, forensics collide, The Tennessean, May 25, 2003, at 19A (discussing 27 allegations of misconduct, some involving potential perjury. Includes misrepresentation of professional credentials, mishandling evidence, obstruction of justice, and misrepresentation of medical findings)

 

Rob Johnson, Witness says Harlan rushed man’s autopsy, The Tennessean, May 22, 2003, at 1B

 

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Houston Police Crime Laboratory--Link to Houston Chronicle's List of Articles

 

James Bolding-DNA Section Chief

Internal Affairs memo from James R. Bolding, Criminalist IV, Crime Lab Division to C.O. Bradford, Chief of Police, Huston, TX, dated March 17, 2003

Steve McVicker & Roma Khanna, After months of disuse, HPD lost access to DNA databases, Hous. Chron., Mar. 19, 2003

Steve McVicker, Lab chief's testimony in 3 cases questioned---Court transcripts show HPD work was wrong, Hous. Chron., Mar. 28, 2003

Steve McVicker & Roma Khanna, Crime lab chief reveals failings, Hous. Chron., Apr. 2, 2003

9 Employees Disciplined Over DNA Lab, Click2Houston.com, June 12, 2003

Steve McVicker & Roma Khanna, 3 say chief knew of problems: Bradford says some disgruntled employees trying to discredit him, Hous. Chron., June 22, 2003

Roma Khanna, Former crime lab director says he warned of dire problems, Hous. Chron., June 24, 2003

 

Christi Y. Kim-Forensic scientist 

 

Roma Khanna & Steve McVicker, 2 HPD crime examiners’ major errors enumerated, Hous. Chron., June 13, 2003 (noting that mistakes by Kim included misrepresenting the statistical strength of DNA matches, failing to analyze all available evidence in a capital murder case and compiling sloppy paperwork)

 

Joseph H. Chu-Forensic scientist 

 

Roma Khanna & Steve McVicker, 2 HPD crime examiners’ major errors enumerated, Hous. Chron., June 13, 2003 (discussing how HPD found that Chu failed to analyze all of the evidence available to him in Jorge Villanueva's death penalty trial. While bloodstains were reported on four different types of shoes, Chu tested only one)

 

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West Virginia State Police Crime Lab

 

Fred Zain-Forensic Chemist

 

In the Matter of An Investigation of West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory, Serology Div., 438 S.E.2d 501 (W.Va.1993) (discussing, at length, Zain’s fraudulent conduct and incompetence)

 

Janet Elliot, Lawyers Seek Access To Bexar County Lab New DA Reviews Zain’s Work, Tex. Law., Aug. 2, 1999, at 1 (discussing Zain’s conduct in Gilbert Alenjandro’s wrongful conviction)

Editorial, Fallout Zain worsens, Charleston Gazette, Feb. 22, 2002, at P4A 

Rachelle Bott, Fred Zain: the retrial; High-profile serologist back in court Tuesday, Charleston-Gazette, Sept. 2, 2001

 

Lawrence Messina, The Next Larry Holdren? Rape case retracing twisted trial; DNA tests throw doubt on another conviction, Charleston Gazette, June 13, 1999, at P1A

 

Court reopens probe Official's report on State Police lab leads to decision, Charleston Gazette, June 11, 1999, P6A

 

Howard Myers-Forensic Chemist 

 

Toby Coleman, Judge throws out attempt at new trial Court rules testing not enough to toss out rape conviction, Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia), Jan. 3, 2003, at P2A

 

Greg Moore, Convicted rapist denied retrial despite magistrate’s urging to too convictions, Charleston Gazette  (WV), Aug. 20, 1999, at P1A (discussing Wilbert Thomas’ 1986 erroneous rape conviction; Thomas’ wrongful conviction can be attributed to forensic chemist Howard Myers’ false testified about results from a forensic test which could not have been performed at the time of Thomas’ 1986 trial)

 

Lisa Osburn, State justice system compromised, court brief says, Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, WV), May 26, 1999, at 1A

 

Lawrence Messina, The Next Larry Holdren? Rape case retracing twisted trial; DNA tests throw doubt on another conviction, Charleston Gazette, June 13, 1999, at P1A

 

Nightmare Another frame-up?, Charleston Gazette, May 1, 1999, at P4A 

 

Lisa Osburn, Convicted rapist's release urged, Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, WV), Apr. 30, 1999, at 1A

 

Todd Owen McDaniel-Forensic Chemist

 

Lawrence Messina, State Police lab review leaves agency with another shiner, Charleston Gazette, Mar. 13, 2002, at P1A (noting that “Todd Owen McDaniel… admitted he skipped required tests on suspected marijuana and cocaine evidence.”)

 

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The FBI

 

Michael Malone-Hair & Fiber Analyst

 

Edna Buchanan, Did FBI help send wrong man to Death Row?, Miami Herald, May 31, 2003, at 1

 

Associated Press, Reversal of Sexual Assault Conviction, N.Y. Times, May 28, 2003, at A19 (discussing how Malone's false testimony assisted in wrongly convicting Anthony E. Bragdon for sexual assault)

 

John Solomon, Conviction tossed on FBI lab misconduct, Associated Press, May 27, 2003 

 

Conviction overturned over FBI lab misconduct, CNN.com, May 28, 2003

 

Frank Stanfield, Officer’s new trial may hang by a hair, Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 24, 1998, at 1 (questioning whether Malone's questionable hair testimony erroneously sent James A. Duckett to Florida's death row)

 

Frank Stanfield, Case evidence is on trial in Ducket murder appeal; Attorneys for the former police officer are questioning criminologist about a hair found on the victim, Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 27, 1988, at 2

 

Sydney P. Freedberg, Reports highlight more tainted testimony, St. Petersburg Times, May 3, 2001, at 1A (discussing Malone's tainted testimony)

 

Associated Press, Rape Verdict Reversed for F.B.I.’s Bad Science, N.Y. Times, Dec. 15, 2001, at A13 (discussing how Stephen J. Fortunato Jr.’s received an unfair trial because Malone lied and misrepresented evidence at his first trial)

 

Richard A Serrano, Misconduct Allegations Arise in FBI Lab Probe, LA Times, January 30, 1997, A1

 

NACDL - Michael Malone

 

The FBI Laboratory: An Investigation into Laboratory Practices and Alleged Misconduct in Explosives-Related and Other Cases, U. S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, April 1997

 

Kathleen Lundy-Forensic chemist 

 

New allegations target DNA, bullet analysis at FBI lab, CNN.com, Apr. 16, 2003 (discussing Lundy's false testimony with respect to the FBI's comparative bullet lead analysis) 

 

Charles Piller & Robin Mejia, Science Casts Doubt on FBI's Bullet Evidence, L.A. Times, Feb. 3, 2003, at A1 (same)

 

New allegations target FBI lab: DNA work, lead bullet analysis face challenges, Associated Press, April 15, 2003

 

Jacqueline Blake-DNA Analyst 

 

Richard Willing, Mueller defends crime lab after questionable DNA tests, May 1, 2003, USA Today, at A3 (noting that Blake allegedly failed to follow appropriate scientific procedure when analyzing DNA in at least 103 cases over the past few years)

 

John Solomon, Scandal over shoddy tests, lying puts FBI crime lab under cloud, Toronto Star, Apr. 17, 2003, at A25

 

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Center for Forensic Reform

 

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