Innocence Project
India Waller
Joseph Lamout Abbitt was convicted of first degree rape of two girls in their own home. He was sentenced to two life sentences plus 110 years in 1995. He was one of the prime suspects because he used to live in the neighborhood and both girls identified him as their rapist. Eyewitness identification was the main evidence against this innocent man even when he had a valid alibi and DNA test done on a piece of clothing found at the house. Even with this evidence of his innocents he was still convicted of the rape. Joseph served 14 years before he was proven innocent in 2009 by DNA testing.
The study of DNA started in the 1920’s when Thomas Hunt Morgan began to experiment with the genetics of fruit flies. The first step is to understand what DNA is and what it’s purpose. The next big step is the discover and replication of the structure of DNA. James Watson and Francis Crick came up with the double helix structure in 1953. In 1958 a man named Coenberg was able to isolate the DNA polymerase, and was able to create DNA in a test tube. The genetic code was cracked in 1966 which made it so we could understand what made up DNA. In 1984 Alec Jefferys used DNA fingerprinting to identify an individual, and a year later this was used in the court room. This was the start of using DNA to prove a defendant guilty or not guilty.
Why if we had this ability in 1984 was Joseph Abbitt wrongfully convicted in 1995 when there was plenty of DNA that could have proven his innocent? His trial seemed rushed and not fair at all. This was not justice this was a blame game with extremely high stakes. This shows me the true magnitude of the power of science. It’s astounding as well as terrifying. In the right hands science can cure illnesses and set innocent people free, but in the wrong hands science can be dangerous.
