North Carolina killed eight possibly innocent people

An independent audit ordered by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper reported in August 2010 that negative or inconclusive results on suspected blood samples that were mishandled (in many cases intentionally) had been omitted from State Crime Lab reports in at least 190 cases that went to trial or resulted in a conviction.


Of those convicted, the audit found that 80 were still incarcerated, five died in prison and three were executed.

So that means the state possibly killed eight innocent people, three through the death penalty.

Another four remain on death row.

Now, one of the wrongly convicted, Greg Taylor, is has become the first prisoner to sue the crime lab (Taylor was also the first person freed after the revelations of tainted evidence).


The complaint charges a technician, Duane Deaver, with deliberately withholding evidence crucial for his defense, and accuses his supervisors (including the director) of sanctioning his behavior.

Lab results suggest blood was present on the bumper of Taylor's truck, found near the body of a dead prostitute that was brutally murdered. There was no blood in the truck, no blood on Taylor or his clothes, or any other evidence to connect Taylor to the crime.

But Taylor was convicted because of the blood found on his bumper.

Only it was NOT blood. And the lab knew this, but it did not share this with Taylor's defense because it was written policy not to.

That's justice in North Carolina. And it is, again, in the news.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/30/north-carolina-crime-lab_n_887516.html?ref=fb&src=sp