|
Wrongly Convicted Database Record
|
Charge: |
Murder and Rape |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
17 |
Year Crime: |
1996 |
Year Convicted: |
1998 |
Year Cleared: |
2014 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Michigan |
County or Region of Crime: |
Kalkaska |
City of Crime: |
Kalkaska |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Jamie Lee Peterson was wrongly convicted in 1997 of the rape and murder of 68-year-old Geraldine Montgomery in Kalkaska, Michigan in 1996. Peterson was charged in 1997 after a jailhouse snitch told the police that Peterson made incriminating statments about Montgomery's rape and murder while he was jailed on an unrelated charge. When he was then interrogated, Peterson, who suffered from depression and cognitive disabilities, gave a confession that he later recanted as coerced. Peterson's conviction by a jury was based on the jailhouse informant's testimony and Peterson's disputed confession. He was sentenced to life in prison. With the assistance of the Michigan Innocence Clinic and Northwestern Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions, Peterson was granted post-conviction DNA testing of crime related evidence that not only excluded him as Montgomery's assailant, but it identified the DNA profile of Jason Ryan, an early person of interest in the crimes. Peterson's convictions were vacated in 2014 and he was released after 17 years in custody based on the exculpatory DNA evidence. The charges were dismissed on September 8, 2014. In September 2015 Peterson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officers involved, the Michigan State Police, the prosecutor and the Village and County of Kalkaska. Peterson law suit alleges civil rights and due process violations, failure to intervene, malicious prosecution, emotional distress and conspiracy. As of September 2015 was jailed awaiting trial on the crimes against Ms. Montgomery." |
Conviction Caused By: |
"Perjurious testimony by a jailhouse snitch, and a coerced false confession." |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Peterson's convictions were vacated in 2014 and he was released after 17 years in custody based on the exculpatory DNA evidence. The charges were dismissed on September 8, 2014." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Michigan Innocence Clinic and Northwestern Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions |
Compensation Awarded: |
|
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
|
Age When Imprisoned: |
21 |
Age When Released: |
38 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Exonerated Man Says Cops Forced Confession, By Molly Willms, Courthouse News Service, October 1, 2015" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/10/01/exonerated-man-says-cops-forced-confession.htm |
Information Source 2: |
|
Information Location 2: |
|
Information Source 3: |
|
Information Location 3: |
|
Information Source 4: |
|
Information Location 4: |
|
Information Source 5: |
|
Information Location 5: |
|
Book About Case: |
|
Book Information: |
|
Book About Case (2): |
|
Book Information (2): |
|
Movie About Case: |
|
Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org