A Pennsylvania judge recently overturned the convictions of three men who had been imprisoned for decades for the 1997 murder of a 70-year-old woman, Henrietta Nickens. The DNA of Derrick Chappell, Morton Johnson, and Sam Grasty never matched that found at the crime scene, yet they were charged and convicted in Nickens’ death. Chappell was only 15 years old when he was arrested for the crime. The three defendants, all young people from the neighborhood, were found guilty despite DNA evidence showing that semen found on the victim’s body did not match any of them.
Paul Casteleiro, the legal director of the nonprofit Centurion and lawyer for Grasty, believes that the case should never have been prosecuted and that the three men should never have been charged. He stated that the evidence always pointed to their innocence, and that the prosecution ‘ran roughshod’ over the defendants. The prosecutor’s theories of the case, including suggesting that the victim had consensual sex before the murder or that the defendants brought a used condom to the scene, were deemed preposterous by Casteleiro. Nickens, who was chronically ill and had no known male partners, made these theories implausible.
Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan ruled to overturn the convictions at a recent hearing and set a bail hearing for May 23 to determine if county prosecutors will seek a new trial for the three men. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer plans to review the case before making a decision on whether to appeal the judge’s ruling. Calls to lawyers for Johnson and Chappell were not immediately returned, and the Pennsylvania Innocence Project was also involved in the case. The defendants remain in prison while awaiting the prosecutor’s decision.
The three defendants were originally convicted in the death of Henrietta Nickens, who was found badly beaten with her underwear removed and her home ransacked with blood present on the walls and bedding. However, the lack of DNA evidence connecting the men to the crime scene has raised doubts about their guilt. The prosecution’s weak theories attempting to explain the lack of DNA match have been debunked by legal experts who support the defendants’ claims of innocence. The men have maintained their innocence throughout the decades they have spent in prison.
The judge’s decision to overturn the convictions highlights the potential miscarriage of justice that occurred in this case. Despite the lack of DNA evidence linking the defendants to the crime, they were charged and convicted based on circumstantial evidence. The possibility of a new trial raises questions about the credibility of the original prosecution and the need for a thorough review of the evidence in this case. The defendants’ legal teams and advocacy groups continue to fight for their release and exoneration, hoping that the truth will prevail and justice will be served in the end. The defendants remain hopeful for a fair resolution to their long-standing fight for justice and freedom.
