Death Watch: Flawed Testimony Cited to Challenge Death Sentence

Billie Coble challenges second death sentence

"...and that his death sentence is based on the false testimony of state's witness A.P. Merillat – a claim..."

Feb. 22, 2019 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

Children and Testimony

Inexperienced interviewers can lead children to make up stories

"...There is a research-confirmed formula for eliciting false stories from children, says Wood. First, the interviewer motivates..."

March 27, 2009 News Feature by Jordan Smith

A False Confession?

Witness testimony in the capital murder trial of Michael Scott, the second defendant to stand trial for the yogurt shop murders, began August 14.

"...Witness testimony in the capital murder trial of Michael Scott, the..."

Aug. 23, 2002 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Death Watch: Where’s Your Evidence?

Exculpatory testimony, DNA at issue in two landmark cases

"...Bryce Benjet, validates longstanding questions concerning whether Fennell provided false testimony at Reed's trial about his whereabouts on the..."

Oct. 6, 2017 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

News Roundup: John Legend, the FBI, and Paul Pryor

Legend calls for criminal justice reform; Pryor passes away

"...his celebrity for good; the DOJ discovers flawed FBI testimony in capital cases; local radio host Paul Pryor passes..."

April 20, 2015 News Post by the News Staff

Criminally Innocent

How can you be exonerated of a crime that never happened?

"...that he didn't molest Stephanie. Instead, he says, he falsely confessed to the crime after being pressured to do..."

Nov. 5, 2010 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Fran Keller Released From Prison

After more than 20 years, Keller is home for the holidays

"...been abused at all came in the form of testimony from a then-novice emergency room doctor, Michael Mouw, who..."

Nov. 26, 2013 News Post by Jordan Smith

Freedom for the Kellers

Fran and Dan released after 21 years for 'satanic abuse'

"...might have been abused came in the form of testimony from a then-novice emergency room doctor, Michael Mouw, who..."

Dec. 6, 2013 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Learning From Our Mistakes

Free, but not exonerated, Fran and Dan Keller are the victims of a continuing injustice

"...the Kellers on a single question of retracted medical testimony. But the ruling was not accompanied by actual exoneration..."

March 11, 2016 News Feature by Michael King

Arena Case Meets the Supremes

Will the Supremes find innocence sufficient for vindication?

"...several issues before it – including whether the expert testimony of Williamson County psychologist Fred Wil­lough­by was improperly allowed..."

Jan. 20, 2012 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Family of Alex Gonzales Jr., Killed by Austin Police Officers, Files Complaint

They claim officer provided false or misleading testimony

"...Police Oversight against Austin police officer Gabriel Gutierrez for false or misleading testimony regarding his involvement in the death..."

Jan. 31, 2024 News Post by Madeline Duncan

Death Watch: Failures at Trial Anchor Last-Chance Appeal for Sparks

If SCOTUS does not act, Sparks will be the third man executed in Texas this month

"...U.S. Supreme Court, are looking elsewhere: to the flawed testimony of expert witness A.P. Merillat and inappropriate conduct of..."

Sept. 20, 2019 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Death Watch: Without Intervention, Travis Runnels Will Be the Ninth Texan Executed in 2019

A troubled life, a dishonest witness, a “changed man”

"...reports Durham's failures at trial. It also states that false testimony from discredited expert witness A.P. Merillat played a..."

Dec. 6, 2019 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Officer's Conviction Overturned

"...have been reasonably affected by the State's use of false testimony and its failure to correct the same," the..."

Aug. 2, 2002 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Yates Conviction Overturned

False testimony taints sentence for mom who killed her kids

"...overturned the conviction of Andrea Yates after finding that false testimony by a prosecution witness violated Yates' rights, a..."

Jan. 14, 2005 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Kellers' Conviction Tossed by CCA

Texas' highest court grants relief, but fails to exonerate couple

"...after the trial that he was confident he provided false testimony (therefore negating the only piece of physical evidence..."

May 21, 2015 News Post by Chase Hoffberger

New Sentencing Hearing for Arena

Texas Supremes say no relief on actual innocence

"...The problem with Willoughby's testimony, however, was that it did not accurately reflect that..."

May 18, 2012 News Post by Jordan Smith

American Violet

This moving message film tells a story about a miscarriage of Texas justice.

"...where she works to arrest her. Based on the testimony of a single person, Dee is charged with drug..."

May 1, 2009 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Attorneys of Inmate Scheduled to Die Say He’s Not a Danger in Prison

In jail fight used to get execution, “he never threw a punch”

"...it with a new claim – that prosecutors presented false testimony during the sentencing phase of Mendoza’s trial, testimony..."

April 18, 2025 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Court Orders Michael Arena Freed

Man spent a dozen years in prison for a sexual assault even the alleged victim now denies

"...ruling that Williamson County psychologist Charles Willoughby had given false testimony during Michael's trial, leading jurors to believe he'd..."

June 8, 2012 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Naked City

New claims of ineptitude put criminal convictions at risk

"...lab's DNA and serology units, offered either inept or false testimony to jurors in a kidnapping and rape case,..."

Aug. 13, 2004 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Is the D.A. Hiding Evidence?

Judge Baird wants some answers from an assistant district attorney

"...Stephanie McFarland try to conceal from a defendant the false testimony of a state witness? Moreover, is this sort..."

July 24, 2009 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Holding Prosecutors Accountable

Anthony Graves seeking justice for wrongful conviction

"...grandchildren in Sommerville – a conviction based on perjured testimony knowingly presented to jurors by then-Burleson County District Attorney..."

Jan. 21, 2014 News Post by Jordan Smith

Death Watch

An update from Death Row

"...not align with evidence presented at his trial, including false testimony by the Tarrant County medical examiner. Juan Castillo,..."

May 19, 2017 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

Death Watch: Expert Opinion

Appeal alleges Dr. Death perjured himself at killer's trial

"...to bring to his attention the fact that the testimony was false, which is its duty...."

April 4, 2014 News Post by Jordan Smith

Arena Finally Going Home

Homeward bound after more than a decade in prison

"...Michael, ruling that Williamson County psychologist Fred Willoughby* provided false testimony about whether Michael could be considered a pedophile...."

June 1, 2012 News Post by Jordan Smith

A Forced Confession?

Jurors spent much of week three of the yogurt shop murder trial of Michael Scott watching nearly 20 hours of an exhaustive videotaped confession he gave Austin police in September 1999.

"...introduced. At Springsteen's trial, investigators admitted that they received false confessions and details of the crime scene so frequently..."

Sept. 6, 2002 News Feature by Jordan Smith

Death Watch: Lies on the Stand and an Execution Delayed

The state won't kill Ivan Cantu this month after all

"...Kitchen, in Dallas. He was convicted largely on the testimony of his girlfriend at the time of the murders,..."

April 28, 2023 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

Rodney Reed Gets Execution Stay, New Hearing

New witnesses, debunked forensic evidence, and DNA testing to be considered in 2020

"...and that prosecutors both suppressed exculpatory evidence and presented false testimony. The judge will then recommend for or against..."

Nov. 22, 2019 News Feature by Brant Bingamon

'Junk Science' Emerges in Graves Case

Refusing to throw in towel, prosecutors take another stab at death row inmate

"...Sebesta had withheld statements from Graves and had elicited false testimony from Carter...."

Oct. 16, 2009 News Feature by Jordan Smith

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