False Hair Evidence Gets 50-Year-Old Murder Sentence Tossed

A 50-year-old murder conviction was vacated by the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday, because the government introduced false expert testimony saying hair samples found at the scene matched the defendant’s.

Although other evidence tied Dennis Butler to the crime, it’s likely the false evidence affected the jury’s verdict, the opinion by Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan said.

At Butler’s trial, an FBI forensic expert testified hairs found on the victim, Jesse Mears, were microscopically identical to Butler’s hair. Other evidence was testimony from two known drug users who said Butler confessed to them, but kept changing their stories, evidence Butler frequented the ...