On the evening of september, 1985 Kimberly Simon left her house,New York, to meet a school friend. The next day, officers found her body near the side of a road. She had been reped and srangle to death. Because of misidentification and improper forensic evidence, Steven Barnes was sentence to 25 years to life in prison. But later in 2009 they reopen the case and use new DNA technology to prove his innocence. Today’s day the real murder is still out there
The evidence that was use in the case against Steven Barnes was eye-witness testimony, and hair, fingerprints and semen.
On September 21 Barnes was question for 12 hours, after the victim was last seen.He told the officers that that day he was driving to the bowling alley, after that he took a polygraph test, which investigators said was inclusive. Police check his truck for fingerprints and trace evidence but did didn't found anything. He was released without charges at the time. More than two years later, investigators were still working on the case and ask Barnes to give blood, saliva and hair samples. He was arrested in March of 1988, more than two years after the crime, and
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Dr. Pagliaro the supervising criminalist, testified that seminal fluid was detected on the victim's underwear and testing was conducted. The result matched the victim’s blood type, but were inconclusive regarding Barnes. Also DNA testing conducted before the trial were inconclusive. Three forms of unvalidated forensic science were used against Barnes at trial, however. Pagliaro testified that she conducted a photographic overlay of the victim’s jeans and use a print from Barnes truck and determined that the two patterns were similar. The state then ask the testimony from an expert manufacture representative who told the court that the stitching on the brand of jeans the victim wore was unique and that 24-36 pairs may have been sold in Oneida County, New