Connecticut settles Henry Lee evidence fabrication case for $25M.
Connecticut Attorney General Agrees to $25.2 Million Settlement in Wrongful Conviction Case
In a stunning turn of events, Connecticut’s attorney general has reached a groundbreaking $25.2 million settlement with two men who were wrongfully imprisoned for decades. This case gained notoriety due to the involvement of renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee, whose evidence was later found to be fabricated by a judge.
Ralph “Ricky” Birch and Shawn Henning were convicted in 1985 for the murder of Everett Carr, based partly on Mr. Lee’s testimony regarding blood stains found on a towel at the crime scene. However, in 2020, testing revealed that the towel was actually free of blood, leading to the vacating of their felony murder convictions.
Seeking justice, Birch and Henning filed a federal wrongful conviction lawsuit against Mr. Lee, eight police investigators, and the town of New Milford. U.S. District Court Judge Victor Bolden ruled in July that there was no evidence of Mr. Lee conducting any blood tests on the towel, resulting in a summary judgement against him.
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If approved by the General Assembly, Birch and Henning will each receive $12.6 million as part of the settlement, according to Attorney General William Tong’s office. In a joint statement, the attorney general’s office and the lawyers for Birch and Henning expressed their satisfaction with the agreement and their intention to present it to the legislature.
While Mr. Lee has not yet commented on the settlement, he previously denied fabricating any evidence. He suggested that the traces of blood may have degraded over the 20-year period between the crime and when the defense experts tested the towel.
Notably, there was no forensic evidence linking Birch and Henning to the crime. The crime scene contained numerous hairs and fingerprints, none of which matched the two men. Additionally, no blood was found on their clothing or in their car.
Henry Lee, now 84, was the former head of Connecticut’s forensic laboratory and currently serves as a professor emeritus at the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. Despite his fame and involvement in high-profile cases like the O.J. Simpson murder trial, the JonBenet Ramsey case, and the Scott Peterson trial, his work has faced scrutiny, including allegations of mishandling evidence.
This groundbreaking settlement serves as a significant step towards rectifying the injustices faced by Birch and Henning, shedding light on the importance of upholding integrity and accuracy in forensic science.
How did the involvement of renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee in the Birch and Henning case add complexity and confusion?
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has agreed to a historic $25.2 million settlement with Ralph “Ricky” Birch and Shawn Henning, two men who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for decades. This groundbreaking case gained widespread attention due to the involvement of renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee, whose evidence was later discovered to be fabricated by a judge.
In 1985, Birch and Henning were convicted for the murder of Everett Carr, partly based on the testimony of Mr. Lee regarding blood stains found on a towel at the crime scene. However, in 2020, new testing revealed that the towel was, in fact, free of blood, ultimately leading to the overturning of their felony murder convictions.
In their pursuit of justice, Birch and Henning filed a federal wrongful conviction lawsuit against Mr. Lee, eight police investigators, and the town of New Milford. U.S. District Court Judge Victor Bolden ruled in July that there was no evidence of Mr. Lee conducting any blood tests on the towel, resulting in a summary judgement against him.
The $25.2 million settlement represents one of the largest wrongful conviction settlements in Connecticut’s history. While the monetary compensation offers a small sense of reparation for the years stolen from Birch and Henning, it cannot fully restore the damage caused by their wrongful imprisonment.
Wrongful convictions not only rob innocent individuals of their freedom but also expose deep flaws within the criminal justice system. In this case, the involvement of a renowned forensic scientist added an extra layer of complexity and confusion. It serves as a reminder that even experts in their field are not infallible and should be subject to rigorous scrutiny.
Attorney General Tong has expressed regret for the injustice suffered by Birch and Henning, acknowledging the catastrophic consequences of their wrongful convictions. He also highlighted the importance of addressing systemic issues within the criminal justice system to prevent similar injustices from occurring in the future. This settlement serves as a step towards rectifying the failures that allowed this miscarriage of justice to happen.
The case of Birch and Henning is a sobering reminder that no justice system is without flaws. It calls for continuous efforts to improve the reliability of forensic evidence, strengthen accountability, and prioritize justice above all else. While this settlement cannot erase the painful memories and lost years, it provides a semblance of closure and a financial acknowledgment of the wrongful convictions. The hope is that Connecticut’s commitment to justice will lead to positive changes and further protect innocent individuals from enduring the same ordeal.
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