Can you say a few more problems in the justice system? well yes… Looks that that fool proof bite mark evidence, maybe absolute crap indeed and foolish to use since it may mean nothing other than the biter had some teeth, in this case, the bites were shown to not even be made by a human but by some fish.  

When will juries figure out that “PAID” experts that claim bite marks are like finger prints without DNA to back it up really have no clue and are just on there for a paycheck!

in a nutshell…

The dentist considered himself an authority on forensic odontology and had taken the stand at numerous trials as a paid expert for the prosecution.

On the strength of West’s testimony and little else, a jury in 1995 convicted Kennedy Brewer of raping and murdering the 3-year-old girl and sentenced him to death.

So the paid “so called” expert could not tell that the bites were not even human when paid by prosecutors to convict an innocent man. How do these assholes sleep at night?

MACON, Mississippi (AP) — At a small-town courthouse in one of rural Mississippi’s poorest counties, Dr. Michael West swore under oath that a dead girl had bite marks all over her body and that they were made by the two front teeth of the man charged with murdering her.

Annie Brewer, right, hugs son Kennedy Brewer moments after a circuit court judge exonerated him.

Such testimony had become commonplace for West. The dentist considered himself an authority on forensic odontology and had taken the stand at numerous trials as a paid expert for the prosecution.

On the strength of West’s testimony and little else, a jury in 1995 convicted Kennedy Brewer of raping and murdering the 3-year-old girl and sentenced him to death.

Three years earlier, West gave similar testimony in a nearly identical rape-and-murder case involving another 3-year-old girl from the same town. West testified there were bite marks on the victim’s wrist and they were made by Levon Brooks. Brooks, too, was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

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I have always believed there is a huge amount of injustice and corruption in our court system. Too much attention and weight is given to media coverage with people being tried by the papers before the jury is even chosen, the so called “expert” witnesses that are paid well for the service. Those two things together steal life from the innocent and keep killers on the loose.

Experts in any field, should not be compensated for their testimony. Media should be more responsible for the imagery they portray of the accused. But we know things do not work that way. “Monster on trial” sells more papers than a “man on trial” and experts get paid well to make the weakest of evidence look scientific and indisputable… It’s all a great show.

Last night, watching the Discovery channel they showed the case of the “snaggletooth” killer. The reason he is called that is because he has crooked teeth. His teeth and the grotesque and ugly images associated with his nickname ultimately got him convicted and sentenced to death. The snaggletooth killer, Mr. Ray Krone had a front tooth that was pushed out as did a bite mark on the victim. Do you hear the toot toot of the train coming yet?

Early one morning over a decade ago, a bartender was closing up the bar for the night . Everyone left and she was alone. The following morning, the bar’s owner found the dead body of Kim Ancona, on the men’s bathroom floor.

There were no witnesses and very little evidence to go on. The only evidence was a bite mark on the victim, a size 10.5 converse shoe print on the floor and 2 black hairs.

In looking for suspects, the police found out that Kim may have been attracted to a patron at the bar by the name of Ray Krone. His name was found in her phone book and the investigation quickly centered on him. Ray Krone had no criminal record, no relationship with Kim other than he knew her from the bar, was not pursuing her romantically nor had any motive to kill her. Ray also had an alibi, his roommate confirmed that Ray was home that night.

After confirming that Ray, just like the killer had a pushed out front tooth, the police arrested him for the murder of Kim. The papers dubbed him the “snaggletooth” killer, that bought Ray a one way Amtrak ticket through the American justice system. Poor Ray was pigeon holed into a stereotype for having crooked teeth. I wonder had he not been called the “snaggletooth” killer, would he ever been convicted. That animalistic name and imagery of a mangled, ugly person already may have convicted Ray before trial ever began. Ray Krone is just a man, but “snaggletooth killer” is a demon. In fact, so many things went wrong here that it’s hard to even know where to start.

So lets start with the facts. The shoe print found at the scene was the wrong size, Ray wore 9.5 shoes not 10.5 and Ray had long light hair not short black hair like the 2 hairs found. The 2 hairs found came from a man of non-white descent.

With all this evidence that did not match, an alibi, and no motive, how was he convicted? For one, what jury would ever want to set free the monster known as the “snaggletooth killer” and the prosecution got the states expert in dentistry, Dr. Raymond Rawson to testify. Dr. Rawson convinced the Jury that bite marks are like fingerprints and can identify the killer just like a good print can. Dr. Rawson put on a great show with slides, overlays, bells and whistles to show how Ray Crone was unquestionably the person that bit Kim.

The jury believed the Doctor and dismissed the other evidence completely. Ray Krone was sentenced to die for being the “snaggletooth” killer, convicted by a name and a bite mark.

On appeal, The defence brought in 3 dental experts, all of whom disagreed with Dr. Rawson’s opinion. In fact all three agreed that the killer seemed to have a gap between his front teeth and Ray Krone did not. But, the prosecution and the dental expert Dr. Rawson again convinced the jury that Ray did in fact bite Kim. Ray, again was found guilty.

One of the dentists that disagreed with Dr. Rawson claims he later talked to Rawson about the case, urging him to take another look at the bite and check out the missing gap. The dentist claims that Rawson actually admitted to him that he may be wrong, but was in to deep to go back on it now. In too deep? A man’s life is at stake here. How is a pro expert’s career more important than a life? well, for Dr. Rawson it was. Dr. Rawson did not want to admit he made a mistake nor turn down the jobs that came with being a well known expert and a man that could get a conviction.

Here is were Ray Krone got lucky. In the decade Krone spent in Prison, laws changed and DNA techniques were improved. His family got the state to allow them to re-examine the old evidence, the blood and saliva found at the scene. The saliva was inconclusive, but in the re-examination a small drop of blood was found on Kim’s pants. The drop that may have been disregarded as being hers since there was so much of Kim’s blood at the murder. The DNA excluded Ray.

In another lucky break, the DNA was run through the state’s computer and came up with a match. A sex offender that was currently in prison that lived directly behind the bar at that time. The man wore size 9.5 shoes and had short black hair. So it’s looking up for Ray now.

When they went down to question the new suspect, he, by another stroke of sheer luck, admitted that he had an alcoholic blackout that night and remembers nothing except that he was covered with blood the following morning.

After 10 years Mr. Krone was set free. Ray Krone lost a decade of his life to bad publicity and a corrupt expert witness who was willing to lie to promote his career on a famous case. Of course, what made the case famous was the media invention of a monster called “snaggletooth”.

Stories such as this are found too frequently. Last week I saw anther one about an expert that literally planted evidence at the scene to make her look like more of an expert.

Ray Krone got very lucky, how many others were not? The “real” snaggletooth killer also got lucky here. He was never investigated and got many extra years to do what he liked best, raping and brutalizing woman. The prosecution in their fervor to get a conviction at any cost helped a sex offender stay free, or at least free ’till some “good” investigation work got him busted for his crimes.

So whats the point here? Expert Witness should not be an occupation. The state should not be using professional witnesses that they know will try to get a conviction for them regardless of evidence. Just like jurors, experts should be called into court to do a civic duty so they do not care about reputation, conviction rate and how much they can charge next time if they get the conviction. The jury needs honest expert opinions, not “paid for” ones.

Can you imagine if the jury system worked like the expert system? hmm.