Medical examiner says the victim, Brooklyn, fought her attacker. Strand of hair left in victim’s hand from attacker not tested. Head hair and skin under fingernails of both hands from the attacker. DNA left under fingernail scrapings from the attacker identified as “not male” and “not of the victim”. Prosecutor refused to test stepmother’s DNA against skin DNA found. Prosecutor filed a motion to p
reclude speculative evidence pointing to a third party, DNA evidence that would have eliminated Ronald, the Veteran who was convicted of this crime, as a suspect . I know DNA is not speculative but that is what they filed after receiving the results. Defense was denied pre-trial DNA testing. DNA came back as not male, yet the state's expert witness says it could still be his. The investigating officer Det. Charles Poe had prior conflict with Ronald involving potential employment. Poe threatened Ronald prior to the incident. Investigating officer, Poe, did not follow proper procedure, as admitted on record. Investigating officer Poe did not look for any other suspects because he said he knew he had his man. Arresting Officer did not understand why he was ordered to arrest Ronald. Ronald’s rights were violated by not being mirandized before being handcuffed and interrogated. Poe said he just believed the stepmother, Tracy, when she said she didn’t commit the crime. Investigator assumed what happened during the crime and didn’t collect forensics from all parts of the crime scene. The Harvey Law Firm requested to take his case from the court appointed attorney. After a couple of months, the Harvey brothers mentioned to Ronald that they talked to his wife, Brooklyn’s stepmother. Ronald wasn’t aware that they were friends of the wife’s family & had represented her family previously. One of the Harvey’s had a personal relationship with Tracy. Ronald’s wife accepted a plea deal to testify against him in exchange for no prison time. Tracy, Ronald’s wife, had knowledge of the bruises on Brooklyn’s body. She also admitted and demonstrated hitting the victim, Brooklyn, in the head. Testimony from Tracy and her biological children from a previous marriage explained how she made Brooklyn eat her own vomit, as well as other acts of abuse. Tracy wrote in her diary how much she disliked Brooklyn and wished she never came to live with her. Tracy changed her story three times about where and what Brooklyn did the morning of the incident and lied about giving her a bath the night prior. Poe stated that the sign above the door was Ronald’s handwriting. Tracy admitted that she had written it. The prosecutor then asked Tracy, “..so you wrote it for Ronald to control his anger?” Tracy said, “No, I wrote it for me to control mine.”
Prosecutor lied about drive-time and distance of Tracy’s place of work
Prosecutor prejudice the jury
Brooklyn’s teachers told The Harvey’s how Brooklyn had a good relationship with her father but could tell something was off between Brooklyn and Tracy. Judge shared his lack of military support by stating that he didn’t see anything in Ronald’s life as a reason for mercy. Ronald is convicted of two separate murder charges of one victim and sentenced to two nonconsecutive, forty-year prison terms.
