REPORT: Hi everyone. I have some significant news to share about the Joe Bryan case. As you may remember, the Texas Forensic Science Commission has been investigating the reliability and integrity of the bloodstain pattern analysis that helped prosecutors secure Joe’s conviction. Last Friday, the commission shared its findings, and it’s fair to say that the results were jaw-dropping. The commission found that the testimony of Robert Thorman, the bloodstain pattern analyst who testified at Joe’s trials, was “not accurate or scientifically supported.” And that was just the beginning. “Thorman’s testimony was egregiously wrong,” Celestina Rossi, the bloodstain pattern analyst retained by the commission to examine the case, told me. “If any juror relied on any part of his testimony to render a verdict, Mr. Bryan deserves a new trial.”Here’s thefull story. The commission’s findings will likely reverberate through the evidentiary hearing that begins on Aug. 20, in Comanche, Texas, at which Joe’s attorneys will ask that he be granted a new trial. And the commission’s conclusions may put pressure on the Bosque County District Attorney’s office to allow DNA analysis of untested evidence in the case to move forward—an effort prosecutors have thus far blocked. As you reflect on all this, it’s worth noting that Texas is in the middle of a heat wave, and most inmates, like Joe, do not have access to air conditioning. The temperature in Huntsville, where Joe is incarcerated, will be hovering just below 100 degrees all week. Inside the concrete walls of the prison where he is housed, the temperature in the summer is frequently much higher than it is outside. An inmate like Joe, who is 77 and has congestive heart failure, is particularly susceptible to health problems when confined in sweltering conditions. So what happens next month in Comanche is important. You’ll be hearing more from me then. In the meantime, thanks for your continued interest in this story. Best, Pamela.
The entire update can be read at the link below:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/164cbf4a4283761b
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/