The Reid Scale: Classic Unsolved Murder Cases

[STANDREID]

I don't see how Mancini was acquitted. The jury must have been late for dinner like the O.J. jury.

 

[STANDREID]

Mancini was found not guilty but later confessed when he knew he could not be retried. Although his admission was likely an attention seeking ploy, it was also probably the truth.

I believe his admission was released in a tabloid so perhaps there could have been some financial gain as well.

 

[STANDREID]

I believe that Sacco was posthumously pardoned but that is only a forgiveness not a reversal of conviction.

To my knowledge, there has been at least one case where a conviction was reversed after execution. In 1950, George Kelly (not George "Machine Gun" Kelly) was hanged. He'd been convicted of a 1949 double murder in Liverpool, England. In 2003, his conviction for the so-called Cameo Murders was declared "unsafe" and removed.

 

[Robin Hood]

What about Timothy Evans, Stan ? I think he was another who was pardoned.

 

[STANDREID]

Hi Robin:

Yes, I believe both Tim Evans and Derek Bentley were posthumously pardoned but I think their convictions were still left on the books. In the case of Kelly, it was taken to the "final" stage of actually quashing the conviction. I stand ready to be corrected on the above if necessary.

 

[STANDREID]

Kelly's alleged accomplice, Charles Connolly also had his conviction quashed but he had served a prison term for the killings then was released and died a free man. He'd pleaded guilty to avoid execution but maintained his innocence. The two men both claimed that they did not know each other. Their convictions were mostly based on the testimony of some rather unseemly characters.

 

[STANDREID]

I believe both Tim Evans and Derek Bentley were posthumously pardoned but I think their convictions were still left on the books. In the case of Kelly, it was taken to the "final" stage of actually quashing the conviction.

OK, I'll try again.

Evans was pardoned but his conviction remains on the books.

Bentley was pardoned and his conviction was removed although not reversed.

Kelly, as yet, has not been pardoned but his conviction was removed although not reversed. Since Kelly was not pardoned and his conviction was only removed, although I wouldn't expect it, if he was still living, technically he could be retried for the crime.

 

[STANDREID]

That's the best I could get from Wiki anyway.

 

[STANDREID]

We had a similar case here when a man named Alan Beaman was released after the Supreme Court threw out his conviction for the murder of his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller. He had served 14 years for the crime.

Recent DNA tests indicated that there were probably two perpetrators in the Lockmiller crime; neither of whom was Beaman.

In a somewhat unusual circumstance, Jennifer's mother has always said that she thought Beaman was innocent.

Beaman has petitioned the state for a pardon and certification of innocence. They are reluctant to grant him these, however, because it will open them up to be sued by Beaman for monetary damages.

 

[STANDREID]

Jennifer Lockmiller was murdered in Normal, Illinois.

 

[STANDREID]

We had a similar case here when a man named Alan Beaman was released after the Supreme Court threw out his conviction for the murder of his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller. He had served 14 years for the crime.

Recent DNA tests indicated that there were probably two perpetrators in the Lockmiller crime; neither of whom was Beaman.

There are once again no suspects.

 

[STANDREID]

Kelly's alleged accomplice, Charles Connolly also had his conviction quashed but he had served a prison term for the killings then was released and died a free man. He'd pleaded guilty to avoid execution but maintained his innocence. The two men both claimed that they did not know each other. Their convictions were mostly based on the testimony of some rather unseemly characters.

Connolly died in 1997.

 

[STANDREID]

Connolly died in 1997.

That was 2003 before the conviction was removed so it didn't do him much good either.

 

[STANDREID]

We had a similar case here when a man named Alan Beaman was released after the Supreme Court threw out his conviction for the murder of his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lockmiller. He had served 14 years for the crime.

Recent DNA tests indicated that there were probably two perpetrators in the Lockmiller crime; neither of whom was Beaman.

In a somewhat unusual circumstance, Jennifer's mother has always said that she thought Beaman was innocent.

Beaman has petitioned the state for a pardon and certification of innocence. They are reluctant to grant him these, however, because it will open them up to be sued by Beaman for monetary damages.

Last week a judge granted Beaman his certificate of innocence.

 

[STANDREID]

Additional example:

0-William Cook
1-William Heirens
2-Adelaide Bartlett
3-Robison Family Massacre
4-Zodiac
5-Cabin 28 Massacre

 

[STANDREID]

The William Cook murders are actually the case I can remember when it was ongoing in 1950-51.

 

[dougie]

My F avourite unsolved crime of them all......By a mile.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes dougie, there's a thread on Gatton here somewhere.

 

[dougie]

Thanks Stan, Ive read through it.The problem is theres not much info around on this case to get a balanced view.Ive found one book The Gtton mystery By desmond or james gibney,it seemed to cover almost everything.The Thomas Day character is interesting ,but somehow I doubt he was involved.The best I can come up with is William Mcneill as a possible, he definitely lied about a few things,one wonders why.
maybe this should be on the gatton thread ...oh well.
regards

 

[STANDREID]

Actually doing a search, I see that there are two threads specifically dedicated to Gatton here. One is headed "Gatton Murders" and the other is headed "Murphy Murders".