NC - Irina 'Ira' Yarmolenko, 20, murdered, Mount Holly, 5 May 2008 *previously GUILTY*Charges Dropped*

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http://www.thestate.com/2014/09/28/3711144/nc-group-investigates-claim-in.html

The N.C. Center on Actual Innocence is investigating a Gaston County man's claim that he did not kill UNC Charlotte student Irina Yarmolenko, who died on the banks of the Catawba River in 2008.

Mark Carver, 46, was convicted in 2011 of first-degree murder. He has served 3 1/2 years of a life prison sentence. For much of that time, family, friends and even strangers mounted an Internet campaign to "Free Mark Carver."

Attorneys with the Center on Actual Innocence believe Carver's claim is credible, said executive director Christine Mumma. She would not say why, but confirmed that the center is investigating... Gaston County district attorney Locke Bell scoffed at the suggestion that Carver might be innocent and said he would not cooperate with the investigation because the center has shown him no evidence... "There are people who say Mark Carver is innocent. He got a fair trial. Twelve jurors found him guilty. The N.C. Supreme Court upheld that conviction."
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The Charlotte Observer story was the first I had ever heard of this case. I read through it all and admit that I find myself a little conflicted, but certainly open to the possibility that Carver did not kill Irina.

One thing I would like to know is when the interview took place in which Carver visually references Irina's height (incorrectly, of course). I know the new attorney involved on his behalf states that the video shows Carver does this only after the detective prompts him and describes her as small, implying that Carver was intending to base his actions off of what the detective shared with him rather than his own knowledge – this seems plausible to me if the video does align with what I've read. But I think if the interview occurred well after her death, I'm also more willing to concede that Carver was possibly informed by photos he saw of her in the media coverage.

What does everyone else think? Also, has anyone followed the website devoted to Carver's supposed innocence? That site has some clarifications and rebuttals that they propose to some of the Observer article.
 
caveat said:
The Charlotte Observer story was the first I had ever heard of this case. I read through it all and admit that I find myself a little conflicted, but certainly open to the possibility that Carver did not kill Irina.

One thing I would like to know is when the interview took place in which Carver visually references Irina's height (incorrectly, of course). I know the new attorney involved on his behalf states that the video shows Carver does this only after the detective prompts him and describes her as small, implying that Carver was intending to base his actions off of what the detective shared with him rather than his own knowledge – this seems plausible to me if the video does align with what I've read. But I think if the interview occurred well after her death, I'm also more willing to concede that Carver was possibly informed by photos he saw of her in the media coverage.

What does everyone else think? Also, has anyone followed the website devoted to Carver's supposed innocence? That site has some clarifications and rebuttals that they propose to some of the Observer article.
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I am curious about the mixed dna and how reliable it is.I was hoping the articles would generate more discussion here at Websleuths.
 
cuffem said:
I am curious about the mixed dna and how reliable it is.I was hoping the articles would generate more discussion here at Websleuths.
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I agree on both counts! I'm also interested in the unknown DNA that was found on one of the ligatures that did not match Carver nor Cassada.

Regardless, I think it's a shame that Carver effectively received no defense during the trial.
 
I'm wondering if the DNA mixtures that contained their DNA also contained the DNA of the officer who touched Carver's fishing license and ID.

I lived in the area when this murder happened. I was a member of that YMCA. The community was shocked and there was talk that the town police couldn't handle such a big case and that the evidence collected that day wasn't the best. That could just be gossip, but it is something that I had heard. It is a small, simple town. If she drove in front of the YMCA, and then took a right hand turn onto the road that goes through the neighborhood and down to the river, it seems like she was looking for the access to the river. I lived in this town for about 2 years before this and I didn't know there was an access to the river back there. I also know that the neighborhood she drove through (River's Edge) was under construction at the time and I remember seeing many various construction vehicles entering and leaving that neighborhood. It would be possible that she stopped to ask where the river access was, and was either followed or accompanied by the murderer, either from the YMCA or River's Edge. At the time of this case, I didn't know any of the specifics about the DNA.... that the samples taken from the car were these so called touch samples. I later moved and wasn't aware that this case was being reexamined.

I would also wonder what her conversations were like with her friends and family leading up to this. When she spoke of photographing the whitewater center, did she know where it was? How to get there? This a very different area, across the river where you don't see as many kayakers and the photo opportunities wouldn't be as good. Had she told anyone what her plans were for that exact day?

I cannot image the two men accused actually removing the film from her camera, removing fingerprints, and placing in her trunk. I don't think they were that savvy.
 
cuffem said:
I would hope that as much as we sleuth crimes against victims here on Websleuths that we also look into cases of the wrongly accused and convicted.More members should be discussing this case.
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I agree, cuffem!

I was unable to watch the 20/20 episode last night but here's a link to full episodes (watchable with verification)

http://abc.go.com/shows/2020
 
Car was not swabbed right away with police and first responders all over the car,officers inspecting car without gloves.Secondary transfer touch dna.There is news video of officer touching the very spot without gloves.Terrible defense attorney,even the the trial judge has his doubts about the conviction.A witness who spoke to Carver for 30 minutes was never questioned by either side.The sound test,the questioning of Carver.Neither side questioned construction workers near the scene.The unknown male dna under Ira's nails.
It is scary to think you could be near a crime scene and because of a sloppy investigation by police and the defense,you could go to prison.NC has a history of wrongful convictions.
http://www.nccai.org/
 
fred&edna said:
I agree, cuffem!

I was unable to watch the 20/20 episode last night but here's a link to full episodes (watchable with verification)

http://abc.go.com/shows/2020
Click to expand...


BBM Do you know the episode title of this program on 20/20? I'm also from this area and can tell you nobody I've ever talked to about this case thinks Mark Carver and his cousin are guilty. I really hope that Mark's new attorney gets the opportunity to bring this back to court.
 
Sweetgrits said:
BBM Do you know the episode title of this program on 20/20? I'm also from this area and can tell you nobody I've ever talked to about this case thinks Mark Carver and his cousin are guilty. I really hope that Mark's new attorney gets the opportunity to bring this back to court.
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Episode title appears to be: "The Mark Carver Case"
 
Sweetgrits said:
BBM Do you know the episode title of this program on 20/20? I'm also from this area and can tell you nobody I've ever talked to about this case thinks Mark Carver and his cousin are guilty. I really hope that Mark's new attorney gets the opportunity to bring this back to court.
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https://youtu.be/IJIqDKatc5Y might be the right link to a YouTube version. Otherwise it's called The Mark Carver Case with Elizabeth Vargas Dateline 2017.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
Just saw this on WRAL, Raleigh, NC:

New trial sought for man convicted of murder in death of UNCC student from Chapel Hill

Local News
New trial sought for man convicted of murder in death of UNCC student from Chapel Hill

Posted 10:50 p.m. yesterday

Charlotte, N.C. — It has been nine years since the death of a University of North Carolina at Charlotte student from Chapel Hill but, this week, Mark Carver was back in court with new support, trying to prove his innocence.
Ira Yarmolenko was found dead next to her car on the Catawba River in 2008. An autopsy said she died of asphyxiation.
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http://www.wral.com/new-trial-sough...email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=wral
 
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