This documentary in the American "On The Case" series examines the murder of teenager Melissa Trotter and the conviction of Larry Swearingen. This is a capital case, and Swearingen has been on death row in Texas since July 2000. This is also a case in which there is much conflicting evidence, including the suggestion that the murder weapon – half of a pantyhose – was planted by the police. Perish the thought.
In a contested case of any complexity there will always be some conflicting evidence. It is the task of a properly directed jury to sort this out. But conflicting eyewitness evidence is one thing, when forensic evidence flies in the face of other evidence, there are serious issues that a jury cannot resolve.
In this case, this evidence indicates that the victim's body was dumped in the woods while Swearingen was behind bars. Other forensic evidence indicates the DNA profile of an unknown male.
Most of this conflicting evidence emerged only after the trial, which can cause procedural problems. There is also the little matter of Swearingen's appalling track record with women, his telling lie after lie in this case, and the mountain of evidence that implicates him in Melissa's disappearance. One of the most damning pieces of evidence is a fake anonymous letter that gives details known only to the killer. A letter that was written by Swearingen!
He is interviewed here, and of course protests his innocence, while Melissa Trotter's parents are certain of his guilt. There is one way to square the circle though, one no one seems to have thought of. What if Swearingen had an accomplice?
The documentary avoids such speculation, and presents both sides as neutrally as possible. Four years on from filming, Swearingen's legal team are still doing their best for their client, however undeserving. He was scheduled to die on February 27, but was given a stay of execution. Not for the first time.
In a contested case of any complexity there will always be some conflicting evidence. It is the task of a properly directed jury to sort this out. But conflicting eyewitness evidence is one thing, when forensic evidence flies in the face of other evidence, there are serious issues that a jury cannot resolve.
In this case, this evidence indicates that the victim's body was dumped in the woods while Swearingen was behind bars. Other forensic evidence indicates the DNA profile of an unknown male.
Most of this conflicting evidence emerged only after the trial, which can cause procedural problems. There is also the little matter of Swearingen's appalling track record with women, his telling lie after lie in this case, and the mountain of evidence that implicates him in Melissa's disappearance. One of the most damning pieces of evidence is a fake anonymous letter that gives details known only to the killer. A letter that was written by Swearingen!
He is interviewed here, and of course protests his innocence, while Melissa Trotter's parents are certain of his guilt. There is one way to square the circle though, one no one seems to have thought of. What if Swearingen had an accomplice?
The documentary avoids such speculation, and presents both sides as neutrally as possible. Four years on from filming, Swearingen's legal team are still doing their best for their client, however undeserving. He was scheduled to die on February 27, but was given a stay of execution. Not for the first time.
