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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
20 to 60 years |
Years Imprisoned: |
13 |
Year Crime: |
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Year Convicted: |
1992 |
Year Cleared: |
2005 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Michigan |
County or Region of Crime: |
Newaygo |
City of Crime: |
White Cloud |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Larry Pat Souter was wrongly convicted in 1992 of murdering a 19-year-old woman in 1979 by hitting her on the head with a whiskey bottle in White Cloud, Michigan. Based on new forensic evidence that her head injury was likely caused by being hit by a car, the federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Souter's conviction on January 18, 2005. A woman then came forward with an affidavit that her father may have hit her with his motor homes mirror, and an investigation verified he was in the area of the woman's death. A United States District Judge ordered Souter's release on April 1, 2005, and prosecutors announced that based on the new evidence they would not retry him. In December 2005 Souter's conviction was vacated by a Michigan state judge. Larry Souter was wrongly imprisoned for 13 years." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Erroneous forensic testimony that the dead woman's head wound was caused by being hit by a whiskey bottle. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Souter's conviction on January 18, 2005, and he was ordered released on April 1, 2005 after prosecutors announced he would not be retried.." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
Yes |
Age When Imprisoned: |
40 |
Age When Released: |
53 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"West MI Man Wrongly Convicted of Murder is Now Free, TV 8, Grand Rapids, MI, April 3, 2005" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3160640&nav=0RceYEEK |
Information Source 2: |
"New Witness Sets Man Free, Ed White (staff) Grand Rapids Press, April 2, 2005" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1112445941204530.xml?grpress?NEOU |
Information Source 3: |
"Court Reversed Murder Conviction, AP, Detroit News, January 20, 2005." |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0501/22/B07-64712.htm |
Information Source 4: |
"Wrongly convicted man tries to move on after prison, AP story, Flint Journal, Flint, MI, January 7, 2006" |
Information Location 4: |
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-31/1136644445175280.xml&storylist=newsmichigan |
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Information Location 5: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org