Scent Lineup Not Necessary as Texas Prosecutors Declare Anthony Graves Innocent

October 28, 2010 at 2:46 PM

Last year, Texas prosecutors wanted to use a “scent lineup” in a desperate attempt to generate new evidence against Anthony Graves, whose death sentence had been overturned in 2006. “Scent lineups” are a ridiculous form of junk science where dogs match a scent from a crime scene with a scent from a suspect (in this case the evidence from the crime scene was 17 years old, had been stored – actually lost – for years in an old unused jail cell, and came from a house that was burned to the ground).

Fortunately this year, Bill Parham, the new DA for Washington and Burleson counties, and special prosecutor Kelly Siegler took a hard 5-month long look at the case.  This refreshingly straightforward statement from Siegler says it all:  

“After months of investigation and talking to every witness who’s ever been involved in this case, and people who’ve never been talked to before, after looking under every rock we could find, we found not one piece of credible evidence that links Anthony Graves to the commission of this capital murder.  This is not a case where the evidence went south with time or witnesses passed away or we just couldn’t make the case anymore. He is an innocent man.”

So, on Wednesday, October 27, Anthony Graves became the 139th person exonerated from US death rows since 1973 and the 12th exoneree from Texas. 

But how did he end up on death row in the first place?

Partly, it was because the prosecutor, Charles Sebesta, elicited false statements and withheld evidence that would have helped Graves’ case.  But mostly, Graves’ conviction was based on a statement from the actual killer, Robert Carter.  Carter later recanted, and continued to insist that Graves was innocent up to and including the moment he (Carter) was executed.  After being tied down in the Texas death chamber, using some of his last words, Carter said:  “Anthony Graves had nothing to do with it. … I lied on him in court.”

After the conviction was reversed, new prosecutors still attempted to re-try him.  The new judge (whose father tried the original case) allowed Carter’s statement to be used as evidence, even though Carter had retracted it multiple times and was no longer available to testify or be cross-examined (the state having killed him). Then, there was the lost evidence that was found, and the proposed “scent lineups” … But the responsible efforts of DA Parham and special prosecutor Siegler brought Anthony Graves’ legal nightmare to an end, after 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

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12 thoughts on “Scent Lineup Not Necessary as Texas Prosecutors Declare Anthony Graves Innocent”

  1. I'm very glad that Anthony Graves is now free, cleared of capital murder. Justice has been served for Graves and his family and for the family of Bobbie Davis. I feel kind of sad for the family of Robert Carter for the loss of their loved one to execution 10 years ago. 🙁 But anyway, I'm still happy for Anthony. 🙂

  2. I’m very glad that Anthony Graves is now free, cleared of capital murder. Justice has been served for Graves and his family and for the family of Bobbie Davis. I feel kind of sad for the family of Robert Carter for the loss of their loved one to execution 10 years ago. 🙁 But anyway, I’m still happy for Anthony. 🙂

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  9. Certainly, prosecutors that elicit false statements and withhold evidence need to prosecuted themselves for obstructing the course of justice, as well as disbarred if they are actively practicing law. The state needs to make restitution for the wrongful prosecution and conviction and the sixteen years in jail. It seems that those that support the death penalty have a fanciful belief in the the infallibility of the "justice" system, as well as the inability to recognize that they, too, could one day find themselves innocent on death row, via mistaken witness testimony or incompetence or malfeasance on the part of police or the district attorney. As for scent lineups, it seems on a par with drowning witches as a means of determining culpability, a sad statement on current police investigative practices.

  10. Certainly, prosecutors that elicit false statements and withhold evidence need to prosecuted themselves for obstructing the course of justice, as well as disbarred if they are actively practicing law. The state needs to make restitution for the wrongful prosecution and conviction and the sixteen years in jail. It seems that those that support the death penalty have a fanciful belief in the the infallibility of the “justice” system, as well as the inability to recognize that they, too, could one day find themselves innocent on death row, via mistaken witness testimony or incompetence or malfeasance on the part of police or the district attorney. As for scent lineups, it seems on a par with drowning witches as a means of determining culpability, a sad statement on current police investigative practices.

  11. Have you read Robert Carter's original statement. The story makes the most sense.roberts wife was with as well. She had a similar burn on her arm. His wife and Anthony graves are cousins but Anthony claims he never met Robert??? Also there was three weapons used. Gun-Robert knife-Anthony and hammer-wife. Also Anthony did know the woman who Robert had a child with and stated he did not like her because of a promotion she got over his mom because of in appropriate means. The knif he got from his friend on his bday he lied about, it fit the wounds perfectly, and now he doesn't have it? Finally if he was truely innocent, he would be pissed off about being locked up! Not just happy to be out. The people who he said he was with wouldn't even testify to that. They backed out except his BROTHER. It's a no brainer if a guys going to die why wouldn't u say something if it were true? I hope Anthony graves doesn't live in my neighborhood!

  12. How can u say don't believe Robert carter when he says Anthony graves is guilty. Than say believe him when he says he's innocent?

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