Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

Go to Database Search Page

Go to  Database Index Page

Richard Simmons

 

Charge:

Murder and Rape

Sentence:

16 years

Years Imprisoned:

8

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1986

Year Cleared:

2002

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Germany

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

"Richard Simmons was wrongly convicted as a British soldier stationed in Germany of the 1985 rape and murder of an 18 year old German woman. After 8 years of imprisonment a German judge ordered his release when it was proven that his DNA didn't match that of the murderer/rapist. Simmons' had been convicted because his blood, like half the men in Germany, was the same type as the murderer, and the case against him was otherwise circumstantial. Simmons was paid £11k in compensation in 2002. Mr. Simmons was so determined to overturn his wrongful conviction that he learned German while imprisoned and spent hours studying forensic medicine books."

Conviction Caused By:

Circumstantial case and false analysis of the physical evidence.

Innocence Proved By:

"DNA testing of the physical evidence used at his trial excluded him as the rapist/murderer. His blood was of the same type as the murderer, but so did the blood of half the men in Germany. "

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

£11k in 2002.

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

34

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

""Ex-soldier cleared of 1985 rape and murder," Allan Hll, The Times, London, UK, Feb. 27, 2002."

Information Location 1:

"http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-220285,00.html"

Information Source 2:

""Ex-soldier cleared of 1985 rape and murder""

Information Location 2:

http://www.legalbrief.co.za/view_1.php?artnum=4458

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

Hosted on forejustice.org and mirrored on justicedenied.org .