Media
For Justice, Forensic Science Must be Scientific: The Case of Kevin Keith
Sunita Sah, MD PhD, Dec. 8, 2022
"In Keith’s case, the forensic examiner’s supervisors repeatedly expressed their concern about her relationship with law enforcement. Notes in her personnel file mentioned she would 'stretch the truth to satisfy a department' and that she had a 'reputation of giving dept. answer[s] [it] wants if [they] stroke her.' What’s alarming about the lack of independence in this and other cases is that the errors all go in the same direction—toward convicting innocent people and letting the real perpetrators go free."
Probing convictions the way Kim Kardashian did Kevin Keith’s, right to do, Ohio justice says
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly, Dec. 7, 2022
"Our collective goal should be to find the truth, and in doing so we can help both the victims of crime and those who have been wrongfully convicted. Let us not fall into the trap of making a choice we don’t have to make."
Did James Parsons Kill His Wife?
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, May 12, 2022
"Perhaps no single case demonstrates the outsize role that questionable forensic science can play in a defendant's fate better than the murder trial of Kevin Keith, a case that also illustrates the difficulty of true legal redress."
"Justin Herdman, appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017, stepped down as U.S. attorney for northern Ohio in January. Herdman wrote in a federal court filing this week that 57-year-old Kevin Keith should be given a hearing to consider his arguments after 27 years in prison, cleveland.com reported."
"This state isn't exactly short on dubious convictions and formal exonerations, but Kevin Keith's case has remained an enduring question mark on the great narrative of Ohio power."
Strickland makes justifiable exception
Sep. 3, 2010
"Many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it.”
A ‘troubling’ case, and a life, rest in Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s hands
Connie Schultz, Aug. 22, 2010
"There are numerous other reasons to believe that Kevin Keith is innocent, including the discovery of new evidence, police missteps, the existence of another known suspect and lousy defense work during Keith's trial. But it is clear not only that prosecutors do not care if Keith is innocent, but that they are deeply invested in winning at all costs."
Death penalty backers join calls for Ohio man to be spared
Chris McGreal, Aug. 11, 2010
"There is a mass of exculpatory evidence, suppressed evidence, faulty eyewitness identification and forensic reports that support legitimate claims of innocence."
Unusual Alliance Protests Execution
Bob Driehaus, Aug. 9, 2010
"A diverse group of Republicans and Democrats, attorneys general and federal and state judges and prosecutors had rallied around the case of the inmate, Kevin Keith, 46, after his lawyers uncovered evidence they say casts doubt on his guilt. 'This case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court. Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed.'"
Death Row case warrants another look to ensure that justice is done
Mark Godsey, July 11, 2010
"There is overwhelming evidence suggesting that Keith was convicted and sentenced to death on the basis of faulty eyewitness identification -- one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in this country. Indeed, eyewitness misidentification has played a role in more than 75 percent of the DNA exonerations nationwide."