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Forensic DNA tests should
be used in Dechaine case
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Tuesday, February 6, 2007

This letter is in response to the article published Friday, Jan. 19, "Police: DNA ties suspect to '83 killing. Inmate pleads not guilty."

Forensic DNA has proven to be a valuable tool for identifying perpetrators in cold cases, cases that would have otherwise remained unsolved. However, the Maine Attorney General's Office must also recognize DNA technology's tremendous value in freeing those wrongfully convicted.

Dennis Dechaine continues to serve a life sentence for a murder conviction even though DNA testing performed in 2004 found a male DNA profile under the victim's fingernails that does not match Dechaine's DNA. The Attorney General's Office has not ordered a re-trial for Dechaine in spite of this incredibly powerful new evidence, evidence that was not available to the jury for Dechaine's trial in 1989. They are not actively pursuing who that "unknown male" DNA belongs to. Shouldn't the same level of importance be placed on all DNA evidence even when it may show a mistake has been made by the Attorney General's Office? Why would the state of Maine want to keep the wrong man in prison?

Nancy Farrin

Pittston


Reader comments

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Nelson Donnell of West Gardiner, ME
Feb 6, 2007 5:11 PM
Anyone who knows anything about law enforcement in Maine knows that there are primarily three types of criminal investigations that are performed by law enforcement.

The first type of investigation is where evidence is collected by law enforcement people for the purposes of establishing and proving guilt of an accused person.

The second type of investigation is where either no exculpatory evidence is collected at all or any evidence that tends to prove an accused person is innocent of the charges is either suppressed or ignored completely by law enforcement.

The third type is reserved for the prosecution of fellow law enforcement people and/or their buddies. In this type of investigation its not uncommon to see special considerations made in favor of those whom supposedly are not to be given any special treatment, but they are.

I'll give you two guesses which of these three types of investigations works for the AG's office, especially as they pertain to the Dennis Dechaine case. report abuse

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