Behind Bars Unjustly: Renowned Scientist, Henry Lee Found Guilty of Fabricating Evidence in High-Profile Case
A federal court recently reached an unprecedented pre-trial decision, ruling that renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee deliberately fabricated evidence, leading to the wrongful conviction of two innocent teenagers.
Shawn Henning and Ricky Birch, the victims of this injustice, were imprisoned for three decades due to false evidence.
The court's ruling means that the wrongful conviction suit against Lee, eight police investigators, and the town of New Milford will proceed to trial without a settlement.
Moreover, the court also found that state and New Milford police might have concealed or manipulated evidence that could have cleared the teenagers' names.
For Lee, there won't be a full trial, but rather a hearing to determine damages.
The jurors will only decide the amount Lee owes Henning and Birch in damages, given the court's ruling against him.
The court's decision criticized the state Attorney General William Tong's office, which defended Lee and the former state police detectives.
The office missed an opportunity to claim immunity to shield Lee from pretrial liability, and the court deemed this a significant oversight.
The case revolves around a 1985 murder, where Henning and Birch, teenagers at the time and involved in petty crimes, were falsely implicated.
The investigation that led to their convictions was conducted by state police and New Milford detectives.
Attorneys Craig Raabe and Jim Cousins, who played a crucial role in reversing the convictions at the state Supreme Court in 2018, expressed their dismay at the travesty of justice.
They argue that Henning and Birch are innocent and that the real killer remains at large.
The court's ruling acknowledged that Lee's fabrication was outrageous, and it also raises concerns about possible misconduct by state and New Milford police.
Lee's trial testimony played a key role in the teenagers' convictions.
However, it later became apparent that the evidence Lee claimed to have found was not blood, as he testified, but an inorganic substance.
The absence of blood on the towel and the fact that neither Lee nor his lab tested it before the convictions led to the ultimate overturning of the case.
The court's decision now offers a glimmer of hope for Henning and Birch to seek justice and compensation for the years of pain and suffering they endured unjustly. The case underscores the importance of exposing miscarriages of justice and holding those responsible accountable.
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