NY NY - Kimberly Simon, 16, Marcy, 18 Sept 1985 *Convicted killer exonerated by DNA*

[AutumnAkasha]

KIM SIMON — This month marks the 30th anniversary of Simon’s murder. A new website, www.rememberkimsimon.com, has been launched to share memories of Simon and help draw attention to the ongoing criminal investigation.
Posted Friday, September 25, 2015 4:00 pm
Sean I. Mills

A new memorial website has been launched for Kimberly Simon, the teenage girl whose murder has haunted the Mohawk Valley for three decades.

The site — www.rememberkimsimon.com — was created by several former classmates as a place to share memories of Simon, as well as help draw attention to the ongoing criminal investigation. The site launched on Sept. 18, the 30th anniversary of Simon’s disappearance in Whitesboro.

Simon, age 16, was last seen leaving her home in Marcy on the night of Sept. 18, 1985. She was supposed to meet a friend. Simon was later spotted at a popular hangout spot near the Sauquoit Creek in New York Mills, and investigators believe she was with a group of people known for Satanic worship.

The next morning, Simon’s nearly naked body was discovered in the woods near the Mohawk River. An investigation eventually led to the arrest of a local man named Steve Barnes, who served nearly 20 years in state prison before modern DNA testing cleared him of the crime in 2008.

Ever since Barnes was released from prison, the District Attorney’s Office has been hard at work chasing down hundreds of leads and testing further DNA evidence in an effort to find the killer. And while they have had some success, the investigation has so far been unsuccessful in making any arrests.

The phone number for the current lead investigator, Dave Matrulli, is posted on the new memorial website. Anyone with information on Simon’s murder is asked to come forward. Matrulli can be reached at 798-5575 or 527-3577.

Memories of Simon can be posted at the website www.rememberkimsimon.com.

Photo and text source:
Memorial website launched for murdered teen Kim Simon

More links:

The Innocence Project and DNA Exoneration – Journal of Science and Technology Law - no date

Photo gallery: DNA testing could lead to man's release from prison - Nov 25, 2008

Photos: Wrongfully convicted man freed from prison - Nov 25, 2008

Man's murder, rape convictions overturned - Nov 25, 2008

Judge overturns man's rape and murder convictions - Nov 25, 2008

With exoneration, police resume hunt for Simon murderer - Nov 26, 2008

UPDATE: Wrongly jailed NY man formally cleared of murder - Jan 9, 2009

Former Winonan appearing on ‘America's Most Wanted' tonight - March 13, 2010

Strange Justice - March 17, 2010

Tracking down a killer: Unsolved homicides challenge investigators - Jan 28, 2011

New York State Crime Stoppers Seeks Donations to Help Solve Teenagers Rape and Murder - Feb 23, 2011

Wrongful Murder Conviction Based on Invalid Forensic Science | Melanson Law Office P.C. - March 4, 2013

Cold Case Spotlight – Kimberly Simon – Project: Cold Case - June 21, 2015

30 years after Kim Simon murder, 'code of silence' continues - Sept 25, 2015

Unknown Kim Simon Killer- New York- 1985 | America's Most Wanted Fans (an unofficial fan page for America's Most Wanted & In Pursuit with John Walsh) - Aug 21, 2016

Kimberly Simon Murder Case - March 12, 2017

The 1985 Murder of NY Teen Kimberly Simon ~True Crime Diva - Sept 22, 2017

Satanism speculation (felt like these should be posted separately. This was after all happening during the great "satanic panic"):

https://www.uticaod.com/article/20100313/news/303139991 - March 13, 2010

https://dvera.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/kimberly-simon/ - March 10, 2010 (blog post)

https://www.religionnewsblog.com/24156/satan-worshipers-possible-suspects-in-kimberly-simon-slaying - March 9, 2010 (blog post)

 

[AutumnAkasha]

Ah! North Tonawanda is NOT the correct city in the thread title. How can I edit this?

The correct city is Marcy.

 

[Gardenista]

Ah! North Tonawanda is NOT the correct city in the thread title. How can I edit this?

The correct city is Marcy.

Hit the report button on one of your posts and let a mod know it needs to be changed

 

[AutumnAkasha]

Hit the report button on one of your posts and let a mod know it needs to be changed

Thank you! I did that and it looks like it's been fixed!

 

[Fede]

Here is a recent article that mentions Kim´s case: OUR VIEW: Families need closure; maybe you can help

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bump

 

[Danaya]

Just caught an old rerun on AMW of this case on YouTube. An innocent man went to prison for twenty years until DNA exonerated him. I wish they'd do genealogical testing because there are many victims in this senseless act of murder. The victim Kim and her family as well as the guy they rushed to put in jail with only circumstantial evidence. The AMW episode explored a satanic angle but that was common place back then. It was likely someone local and it was opportunistic as she was last seen walking near her home. Some pervert probably took the opportunity to take her and her body was found beaten raped and strangled to death. JUSTICE FOR KIM! There's a monster likely still out there whose gone on to live his own life, perhaps in that same community.