Story perspectives

Pennsylvania Judge Vacates 1997 Murder Convictions Over Flawed Forensics

5/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Pennsylvania judge vacated 1997 murder convictions of Marc Brittingham, Jermal Shuler and Rasheed Turner after a Conviction Integrity Unit found forensic flaws.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said the convictions lacked integrity because the eyewitness was unreliable and the medical examiner’s time-of-death estimate was wrong.
Prosecutors said the case will be reopened if evidence emerges after the men were released from SCI Phoenix and SCI Chester and reunited with family.

History

Historical Context

In 1992 attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld founded the Innocence Project, which has helped overturn 254 convictions through DNA testing. Their advocacy spurred state Conviction Integrity Units, and in 2024 Judge John D. Zeller used that framework to vacate 1997 murder convictions in Pennsylvania, highlighting ongoing forensic reform.

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Story summary

A Pennsylvania judge vacated 1997 murder convictions of Marc Brittingham, Jermal Shuler and Rasheed Turner after a Conviction Integrity Unit found forensic flaws.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said the convictions lacked integrity because the eyewitness was unreliable and the medical examiner’s time-of-death estimate was wrong.
Prosecutors said the case will be reopened if evidence emerges after the men were released from SCI Phoenix and SCI Chester and reunited with family.

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