Steven Truscott Case Essay

Steven Truscott was , in 1959, the age of 14. He was convicted for murdering his 2 year younger classmate, first being sentenced to death, to life in prison, and finally exonerated nearly 50 years later. Truscott was an immediate suspect due to the fact that witnesses saw him and Lynn harper cycling together before her body was found 2 days later. Truscott claimed to be giving Harper a lift to the highway being he was the last one to see her alive. It was believed Harper was trying to hitch a ride to her grandmothers house in a near community. The abduction and murder caused so much trauma through out the community causing Truscott to stand to an adult trial without the chance of bail. Truscott claimed that Harper was picked up by a 1959 Chevrolet …show more content…
His defense lawyer stated against this that Harper disbanded from the bike 100 meters from the trail. It wasn’t until the forensic pathologists investigated the contents of Harpers stomach and made a conclusion on the time, 7:15-7:30pm, that she had died. This evidence showed the court that Truscott was more likely than not with Harper at the time. Using the time evidence and the accounts from children under the bridge that day, Truscott was found guilty. After years in prison and years hiding in the shadows outside of prison new evidence was presented. The stomach content conclusion was argued with factors like nature, temperature, and other variables to show that it was not reliable for evidence. Sizes of the insect found, blow flies, was also recorded. Scientists were able to work backwards with the well known nature of the blows flies. This investigation concluded that the body died allot later than recently determined. With the measurements, the maggots were allot smaller than the size they should've been if they were drawn to the body at that night, concluding that the flies were drawn early the next morning giving the actual time of