David Lee Gavitt

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole
Years Imprisoned:	26
Year Crime:	1985
Year Convicted:	1986
Year Cleared:	2012
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Michigan
County or Region of Crime:	Ionia
City of Crime:	Ionia
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"David Gavitt was wrongly convicted in 1986 of murder for the deaths of his wife and two daughters who died in a house fire on March 9, 1985. Gavitt's conviction was based on expert testimony that the fire was caused by the use of an accelerant, i.e., it was arson. Gavitt was sentenced to life in prison. A post-conviction investigation based on advances in detecting the cause of a fire determined that the fire was accidental. Gavitt filed a motion for a new trial based on the new evidence supporting his actual innocence. On June 6, 2012 David Gavitt's convictions were overturned, the charges were dismissed, and he was released the same day after 26 years of wrongful imprisonment."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous expert testimony that the house fire was caused by an accelerant.
Innocence Proved By:	"On June 6, 2012 David Gavitt's convictions were overturned, the charges were dismissed, and he was released the same day."
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Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	27
Age When Released:	53
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Man convicted of family's arson deaths in Ionia goes free, By Karen Bota (staff), The Ionia Sentinel-Standard, June 6, 2012"
Information Location 1:	http://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/x1318992139/Man-convicted-of-familys-arson-deaths-in-Ionia-goes-free
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David Lee Gavitt

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole

Years Imprisoned:

26

Year Crime:

1985

Year Convicted:

1986

Year Cleared:

2012

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Michigan

County or Region of Crime:

Ionia

City of Crime:

Ionia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous expert testimony that the house fire was caused by an accelerant.

Innocence Proved By:

"On June 6, 2012 David Gavitt's convictions were overturned, the charges were dismissed, and he was released the same day."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

27

Age When Released:

53

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Man convicted of family's arson deaths in Ionia goes free, By Karen Bota (staff), The Ionia Sentinel-Standard, June 6, 2012"

Information Location 1:

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/x1318992139/Man-convicted-of-familys-arson-deaths-in-Ionia-goes-free

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Book Information:

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