A Pennsylvania judge has overturned the convictions of three men who were imprisoned for decades for the 1997 slaying of a 70-year-old woman, despite their DNA never matching that found at the scene. The judge ordered new trials for Derrick Chappell, Morton Johnson, and Sam Grasty, all of whom were charged and convicted in the death of Henrietta Nickens, despite the lack of DNA evidence linking them to the crime. The men, who were young people from the neighborhood at the time, were convicted based on questionable theories presented by the prosecution, including the suggestion that the victim may have had consensual sex before the slaying.
The men’s lawyer, Paul Casteleiro, who is also the legal director of the nonprofit Centurion, stated that the case never should have been prosecuted and the evidence pointed to the innocence of his clients. He criticized the prosecutors for running roughshod over the defendants, presenting various preposterous theories to explain the lack of DNA match. Despite the DNA evidence not connecting the men to the crime scene, they were convicted based on circumstantial evidence. The judge’s decision to overturn the convictions has raised hopes of a fair trial for the men, who have maintained their innocence since the beginning.
The defendants were found guilty of the crime even though DNA testing at the time showed that semen found in the victim’s body and on a jacket at the scene did not match any of them. The lack of a DNA match was explained away by the prosecution, who suggested that the victim may have had consensual sex before the slaying or that the defendants brought a used condom to the scene. However, the victim, who was chronically ill and had no known male partners, made these theories highly unlikely. Despite this, the jury was convinced and the men were wrongfully convicted, resulting in their decades-long imprisonment.
The judge, Mary Alice Brennan, who overturned the convictions, has scheduled a bail hearing for May 23 to determine whether the county prosecutors will seek a new trial for the men. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer will review the case next week before making a decision on whether to pursue a new trial. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, as well as the men’s lawyers, are working to ensure that justice is served for the three men who have spent a significant portion of their lives behind bars for a crime they did not commit. The men, who are now in their 40s, have filed petitions in federal court over the years claiming wrongful conviction, but these were denied until now.
The case of Derrick Chappell, Morton Johnson, and Sam Grasty is a tragic story of justice gone wrong, as three innocent men were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. The lack of DNA evidence linking the men to the crime scene, along with the prosecution’s questionable theories, highlights the flaws in the justice system that can lead to wrongful convictions. The judge’s decision to overturn the convictions has provided a glimmer of hope for the men, who have maintained their innocence throughout their ordeal. The upcoming bail hearing and potential review of the case by the district attorney will determine the next steps in the quest for justice for Derrick Chappell, Morton Johnson, and Sam Grasty.
