Roger Coleman was executed on May 20, 1992. Some thought he was wrongfully convicted.
Questions persisted among those who doubted Coleman's guilt:-- Why was there no coal dust on McCoy's body when Coleman's clothes were covered with it that night?
-- Why didn't Coleman's lawyer mention a bag of blood-soaked sheets, two shirts and a pair of scissors found near McCoy's home after the murder?
-- Why did Coleman's clothes lack bloodstains and why were there no fingernail scratches on his body if McCoy struggled as the evidence at trial suggested?
A group which has worked to free 26 people sentenced to death, requested an updated DNA test to for evidence of Coleman's innocence. The Virginia courts have denied the request, and so has the Governmor. The group believes that if the DNA analysis establishes Coleman's innocence, a new look at the "death penalty" might be prompted.
attribution: Reuters
Posted by Tiger at May 8, 2003 08:25 PM | TrackBack