Chester, Pennsylvania – Three men from Delaware County convicted in a decades-old murder case have been granted a new trial following developments in DNA evidence. Derrick Chappell, 41, Morton Johnson, 42, and Samuel Grasty, 46, who were teenagers at the time of the crime, were found guilty in 1997 for the beating death of 70-year-old Henrietta Nickens in her Chester apartment.

New DNA Evidence Challenges Conviction

The Innocence Project alongside local attorneys have presented new DNA evidence refuting the conviction. Vanessa Potkin, the Director of Special Litigation with the Innocence Project, emphasized the innocence of the three men, stating they spent decades in prison for a crime somebody else committed. Despite DNA evidence found at the crime scene nearly thirty years ago, none of it matched the convicted men.

Attorney David Haase from Shook, Hardy and Bacon described the crime scene as brutal, highlighting that none of the blood, hair, fingerprints, or semen samples tied the defendants to the murder.

District Attorney Responds

The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office had previously maintained that the evidence found would unlikely reverse the verdicts. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer commented last July, suggesting that an absence of DNA at the scene doesn’t necessarily indicate innocence. He noted, people can commit vile acts and not leave DNA at the scene.

Long Legal Battle for Justice

The attorneys for Chappell, Johnson, and Grasty, with support from the Innocence Project over the past eight years, have persisted in their pursuit of justice. Despite the passage of a quarter-century since the conviction, they argue that modern DNA testing exonerates their clients. The men’s refusal of plea deals during the trial reflects their unwavering belief in their innocence.

Seeking Closure

Nilam Sanjhvi from the Innocence Project lamented the years unjustly taken from the three men, stressing the ongoing challenges despite the presence of physical evidence supporting their innocence. The search for the true perpetrator continues as the legal battle for exoneration moves forward.

Download The Local News App for Updates

For the latest updates on this case and other local news stories, download The Local News App to your smartphone. Stay informed with timely news coverage and developments in your community.

Source