Who was wrongly accused, or convicted?

[Awsi Dooger]

I've seen several posts with assertions of guilt based on an Unsolved Mysteries segment, like the longhaired, tuxedoed newlywed whose mother was found dead in her car in northern Nevada not long after the wedding.

But certainly there are examples of the opposite, horrific fate -- innocent but falsely convicted.

My nominees would be Larry Race, the philandering husband whose wife drowned after a latenight boat trip with a fire and engine failure, circa 1982 in one of the Great Lakes; and Tommy Zeigler, the central Florida furniture store owner who was convicted of four murders (and currently on Death Row) despite being shot in the stomach himself, Christmas Eve 1975.

I'm originally from Miami, and was aware of the Zeigler case and the controversial aspects of the trial long before the treatment by Unsolved Mysteries. Recently I read a Tampa Tribune article regarding new DNA evidence being approved in the Zeigler case, despite furious objection from the state, and the possibility of a new trial. The article is here: http://www.fadp.org/news/mar2.html

It's not considered unsolved, and I'm sure many of you will disagree, but my #1 claim in this category would be the complete innocence of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the military doctor convicted of the so-called Fatal Vision murders of his wife and children. Joe McGinniss, the author of Fatal Vision, is the one who truly belongs in jail for his fictional and prejudicing account of the incident, based on several other books and documentaries I've examined. There is so much corroboratory evidence, and even confessions, to support Dr. MacDonald's claim of a group of drug enamored hippies who broke in and committed the killings.

[FanfromES]

Is there an update in the Larry Race case? Is he still in prison?

[TJ]

Was the Jeffrey MacDonald featured on the actual Unsolved Mysteries show? I don't remember it, but I have some promos on my original tapes and there was a spin-off series called Final Appeal: From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries that aired in 1992 that aired on Fridays. I think the MacDonald case was featured on there, does anyone have any episodes of this series?

"Short-lived spin-off from NBC's Unsolved MYsteries, based on a popular segment that reopened criminal cases in which the person convicted may have been innocent. The show looked at each case from the perspective of the prosecution and defense, leaving it up to the viewer to decide whether the criminal deserved a "final appeal." It was not recorded whether anyone profiled during its short run was subsequently exonerated."

First Telecast: September 18, 1992
Last Telecast: October 16, 1992

Hosted by Robert Stack

[Composite Sketch]

I can tell you that I definitely remember that the Jeffrey McDonald case was shown on Final Appeal. It was on the first episode I think. That's how I first heard of the case. As a side note, famous crime novelist Ann Rule thinks McDonald did it.

I also recall a couple of convicted people get exonerated after they were profiled. One was a woman and the other was a black man. That's all I can remember.

[CrushedVelvet]

Hey AWSI...I agree with you and the interest in the possible(likelihood) of the wrongly accused but for some reason, McDoanld just always seemed guilty to me. I think the biggest reason is that they found his pajama fibers in his daughters nails (if memory serves me right) as well as the "scene" appearing very staged. Things like this interest me, please tell me why you think him innocent and also, who collaborated the hippy witch stories? Thanks )

[Awsi Dooger]

I was on an extended vacation and happily absent from the internet.

For what it's worth, after posting this thread I was introduced to Jeffrey MacDonald's former prison cellmate from the mid-'80s. He lives in Las Vegas, was MacDonald's cellmate for about 2 years, and my friend introduced him to me after we discussed UM and specifically the MacDonald case.

Direct quotes from the cellmate: "At least half the guys in prison claim they're innocent. The only one I believed was Jeffrey MacDonald. I watched Fatal Vision with him when it first aired. He was completely silent when it was on. Later he described all the innacuracies, everything they made up. There was never any ranting. He just insisted he was innocent, day after day. At that point Dr. MacDonald expected to be out within a couple of years. But I don't think he'll ever get out. They won't give him a new trial."

CrushedVelvet, I became convinced of MacDonald's innocence after watching a documentary on A&E, I believe it was. There were taped interviews with Helena Stokeley (long deceased, drugs) who claimed she was one of the hippie intruders, and had worn a blonde wig like MacDonald described. Blonde wig strands were apparently found in the residence but held secret from the defense. Stokeley described specifics of the MacDonald residence that only someone who had been there could have known, including a child's rocking horse. She also said she answered the phone during the attack from someone who mistakenly called the number looking for a different Dr. MacDonald. MacDonald had mentioned a phone call came during the attack.

There were reports that Stokeley's boyfriend (also dead) had also confessed. And there were also sitings of the hippie group at a nearby restaurant early the following morning. I wish I could remember the other evidence of MacDonald's likely innocence. There was plenty.

In short, if the hippie troop was an absurd invention there should be zero evidence it existed, not quite a bit. Many guilty parties are tripped up because they invent ridiculous conspirators and tales. I believe Dr. MacDonald was convicted partially because he was unfortunate enough to experience an attack that comes across as so unbelievable.

[CrushedVelvet]

AWSI, you have made some good points. It has been YEARS since I have seen or read anything on the case. I feel I need to again now. Thanks.

[Brent88]

Monday Night's Unsolved Mysteries featured a woman who ALLEGEDLY poisioned her infant son. She was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. The parents said it was a genetic diease(MM3?) It turns out, as a result of the UM airing in 1990(just a year after the incident) and after the story was featured, many physicians called UM saying it had to be the disease and not poisioning. Because of this, she was granted a new trial and released from prison. She was wrongly accused. They had a second son while she was in prison and he was ill with the disease as of the taping in Mid-1990.

[Composite Sketch]

Prime showed that case about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I had never seen it until then.

In addition to the judge deliberately disallowing evidence, I was particulary disgusted with the update that showed a (crappy for 1991 standards) video of the 'conference' exonerating Patti Stallings, with the prosecuting attorney sitting right next to her saying he's "sorry" in his Texas drawl. Give me a break. You say you're sorry when you step on someone's foot, not for putting an innocent woman in jail!

[Brent88]

The Jeffrey McDonald case is on UM right now(Wednesday September 24th at 1pm) I think he's innocent just from what I have seen so far...

[BuffaloBill]

i know this is an old thread , but FYI, macdonald was on larry king live in february on cnn. facinating interview. from what i got of this these were almost exact copy-cat style murder to the manson killings in 68. his late f/i/l prob knew accorting to him he was innosent, but wanted to stick to him from moving away from them to california to distance himself from the situation. there was no doubt about from going away from this show he is innosent....even the author of fatal vision admits he spruced up some stories/events..it is a perception still the book was on the up and up.

[ddelta]

There was that case too of that guy who was convicted of murdering that woman that he met and spent the night with. They all thought her ex husbands (who was in jail) brother did it. After UM aired the show they admitted that he could not be her killer and before they could try the ex husbands brother the guy died of MS.

Also, there was that mentally ******** boy who was accused of setting fire and killing his neighbor. UM aired it numerous times and I believe they finally let him go.

And that mother was let go to whos babies were sick....

[chad30]

He believe he died of ALS, not MS.

[BuffaloBill]

one thing i neglected to mention-according to macdonald they still have the crime dna...it is waiting to be tested. this could be a long process to get it tested up to a year. he thinks the law inforcement is in no hurry to test it just so they arent humiliated with the ovious results.

[canadianmysterygrl]

I think Jeffery MacDonald is as guilty as sin. I think he made up the whole hippy thing to copy the manson killings. He seems like a cold, unfeeling callous jerk and I hope he is haunted everyday by the cries of his children.