In just the last few weeks, so many people have learned the heartbreaking stories of Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer — two people who were wrongfully convicted of similar crimes in Noxubee County, Mississippi, in the early 1990s.
If it weren’t for DNA testing, the world might never have known their stories. Their names might never have been cleared. They might never have been freed.
In the fight to free the innocent, the power of DNA technology is incomparable. It’s helped exonerate hundreds of people, and today, on World DNA Day, we remain as committed as ever to funding DNA testing that could prove our clients’ innocence.
Over a decade and a half ago, I remember driving down to Noxubee County to meet Kennedy and his family, and dive deeper into his case. Both he and Levon had been convicted of horrible crimes primarily on the basis of questionable forensic science. In both cases, an expert for the prosecution testified that presumed bite marks on the victims’ bodies “indeed and without doubt” matched Kennedy and Levon’s bite patterns.
DNA testing didn’t just clear their names. It provided a definitive match with another suspect, who later confessed and pleaded guilty to both crimes. That’s what separates this technology from other tools we have — it has the ability to prove someone’s innocence.
As much as I wish it were the case, DNA testing for our clients isn’t as affordable as your average home heritage discovery kit. With decades-old evidence, multiple rounds of advanced testing can run more than $50,000 — for just one case.
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
