Former Nashville Medical Examiner, Whose Testimony Helped Convict a Russell Maze in 2004 of Killing His Baby, Now Says He Was Wrong. Maze could still spend the rest of his life in prison.
Former Nashville Medical Examiner, Whose Testimony Helped Convict a Russell Maze in 2004 of Killing His Baby, Now Says He Was Wrong. Maze could still spend the rest of his life in prison.
The former Nashville medical examiner has recanted his testimony that Russell Maze’s son had died of shaken baby syndrome, joining the DA’s office in now saying a crime never occurred. Yet Maze could still spend the rest of his life in prison.
But it offers a lifeline to a defendant whose chances of relief dramatically narrowed in May when a lower-court judge, after hearing two days of testimony from multiple experts who found no evidence that Alex had been shaken, nevertheless concluded, “The court does not find an injustice nor that the petitioner is actually innocent based on new scientific evidence.”
This fucked up country.
The CRU subsequently reached out to Levy and asked him to review the record, including Alex’s full medical history and Kaye’s obstetrics record. Levy could have upheld his previous position or written a more measured reappraisal. Instead, after reviewing all the evidence, he unequivocally rejected his original findings and testimony.
I want to take a moment to show appreciation for people who admit they were wrong. Especially in a matter of such great importance.
I hope these charges can be vacated soon.
And kudos to ProPublica for being so amazing. A non-profit news source, I see. I'm very impressed and I should be donating. Their articles are quite eye-opening and their involvement at re-examining this case was key.
100%
I instantly respect people who admit they were wrong about something, anything really, big or small, but especially when it’s about someone’s guilt or innocence. It shows true strength and integrity.
ProPublica has been absolutely nailing it lately. Their Supreme Court reporting is unparalleled, but in general they do investigate journalism better than just about anyone.
And I have been very critical of Nashville DA Glenn Funk, including for his malfeasance in using person connections to get fake work to boost his own pension, but the formation of the Conviction Review Unit—once it was actually used, after an initially inactive period—deserves recognition and praise.