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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder and Rape |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
16.06 |
Year Crime: |
1999 |
Year Convicted: |
2000 |
Year Cleared: |
2015 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Kansas |
County or Region of Crime: |
Jefferson |
City of Crime: |
Oskaloosa |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Floyd Bledsoe was wrongly convicted in 2000 for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Camille Arfmann in November 1999 in Oskaloosa, Kansas. Camille, who was shot four times, lived with her sister and her boyfriend Floyd Bledsoe, and their two children. Her body was discovered three days later in a trash ditch near the home of the Bledsoe's parents. Floyd's brother Tom Bledsoe was considered the prime suspect and he was charged with the crimes after he confessed when interrogated by the police. However, a week later the charges were dropped against Tom when then recanted and blamed his brother. Floyd was then arrested on November 9, 1999, and charged on November 10 with Camille's murder. During his trial the prosecution's key evidence was the testimony of his brother Tom. After his conviction by a jury, Floyd was sentenced to life in prison. In 2015 post-conviction DNA testing of sperm found on Camille excluded Floyd as the source, while it matched Tom Bledsoe. Several weeks after Floyd filed a motion for a new trial based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence, Tom committed suicide on November 11 by shooting himself to death in his car. Three letters written by Tom Bledsoe were found in his vehicle — one to his wife, one to his parents and the other "to whomever cares." In his letter to his parents he wrote that "Floyd is innocent," and that during Floyd's trial the prosecutor "made me lie and keep my mouth shut." In one of the letters he wrote, "I sent an innocent man to prison" and "I raped and murdered a 14-year-old girl." He wrote, "All I can say is sorry to all, and I seek forgiveness, but I don't deserve any, not even from God." Only three of the shell casings were found near Camille's body, and the police found the fourth casing where Tom described and drawn a diagram to show where he had buried it. Based on new DNA evidence implicating Floyd Bledsoe's brother Tom Bledsoe, Tom's confession in his letters, and Tom's knowledge of where the missing shell casing was buried, Jefferson County DA Jason Belveal filed a motion to vacate Bledsoe's conviction and dismiss the charges. On December 8, 2015 the DA's motion was granted and Floyd was immediately released after more than 16 years in custody. On May 23, 2019 Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced in a news release the state had agreed to pay Floyd Bledsoe $1.03 million under the state's wrongful imprisonment statute. Bledsoe was the second person awarded compensation under the law enacted in 2018, and Bledso had filed his claim in July 2018. On May 19, 2016 Bledsoe filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the law enforcement agencies and agents involved in this case, alleging that he was knowingly framed for the murder. As of February 2019 his federal lawsuit is pending." |
Conviction Caused By: |
"Perjury by the actual perpetrator, Floyd Bledsoe's brother Tom." |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Based on new DNA evidence implicating Floyd Bledsoe's brother Tom Bledsoe, Tom's confession in his letters, and Tom's knowledge of where the missing shell casing was buried, Jefferson County DA Jason Belveal filed a motion to vacate Floyd Bledsoe's conviction and dismiss the charges. On December 8, 2015 the DA's motion was granted and Floyd was immediately released after more than 15 years in custody." |
Defendant Aided By: |
The Midwest Innocence Project and the Kansus University Project for Innocence. |
Compensation Awarded: |
"$1.03 million (State of Kansas, May 23, 2019)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
Yes |
Age When Imprisoned: |
23 |
Age When Released: |
39 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Judge Throws out Kansas Man's Murder Conviction, By Jim Suhr (Associated Press, Oskaloosa, Kan.), ABC News, December 8, 2015" |
Information Location 1: |
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-throws-kansas-mans-murder-conviction-35655857 |
Information Source 2: |
"1999 murder suspect found dead of apparent suicide, WIBW-TV (Topeka, Kansas), November 12, 2015" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Suspected-1999-murder-suspect-found-dead-of-apparent-suicide--346257612.html |
Information Source 3: |
"State to compensate Floyd Bledsoe $1M for wrongful conviction, By Associated Press, Lawrence Journal World (Lawrence, Kansas), May 23, 2019" |
Information Location 3: |
https://www2.ljworld.com/news/state-region/2019/may/23/state-to-compensate-floyd-bledsoe-1m-for-wrongful-conviction/ |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org