Rape case spurs debate about DNA
source: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/01/23/20110123rape-john-watkins...
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When a Gilbert police detective interviewed John Watkins as a suspect in a 2003 rape investigation, his message to Watkins was clear.
"There was DNA recovered," the detective told Watkins. "What I'm getting at is: DNA is black and white."
It took nearly seven years for that DNA to be tested - years Watkins spent in prison.
Last month, about halfway through a 14-year sentence, Watkins was released from prison in part because the test results showed the DNA did not belong to him. Nonetheless, police and prosecutors are not convinced they charged the wrong man, and they now insist that DNA evidence is not "black and white," but more a shade of gray.
Watkins' release, which came after his case was put under a microscope by the Arizona Justice Project, has rekindled the debate over police interrogation tactics and whether DNA testing is an infallible criminal investigative tool.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/01/23/20110123rape-...
"There was DNA recovered," the detective told Watkins. "What I'm getting at is: DNA is black and white."
It took nearly seven years for that DNA to be tested - years Watkins spent in prison.
Last month, about halfway through a 14-year sentence, Watkins was released from prison in part because the test results showed the DNA did not belong to him. Nonetheless, police and prosecutors are not convinced they charged the wrong man, and they now insist that DNA evidence is not "black and white," but more a shade of gray.
Watkins' release, which came after his case was put under a microscope by the Arizona Justice Project, has rekindled the debate over police interrogation tactics and whether DNA testing is an infallible criminal investigative tool.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/01/23/20110123rape-...
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