Image via AP. A Florida man exonerated of a 1983 rape and murder after 37 years in prison is suing over his wrongful conviction, and initial sentence to death, in which a disproven bite mark was crucial evidence. Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182 For 37 years, weve had an innocent man locked up in prisonwhile the real perpetrator was never held accountable for this heinous crime. However, evidence on the case was presumed destroyedin 1990, apparently aspart of a routine process, Grayson Kamm, communications officer for the Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit, said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. The Conviction Review Unit will continue to work with the court to finish exonerating DuBoise,Hall said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. They have also lived in Indialantic, FL and Fort Myers, FL. In fact, the victims injury was not a human bitemark at all, Daniel Marshall, an attorney for the Human Rights Defense Center, wrote in the lawsuit. R.H. Price, the estate of Det. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/AP Images for The Innocence Project). Souviron famously helped authorities convict Ted Bundy for the 1979 murder of Lisa Levy based on the bite mark the notorious serial killer left on the victims buttocks. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Refine Your Search Results. In addition, the lawsuit contends that investigators conspired with jailhouse informants to falsely implicate DuBoise and were guilty of misconduct. In 2007, pursuant to a court order the state responded that in 1990 the Hillsborough County Clerks Office disposed of the evidence in the regular course of business. Defense counsel met with a Tampa Police Department detective to determine whether any items not admitted at trial were in the police departments custody, at which time approximately ten boxes of evidence were foundmostly trace evidence. For now, though, DuBoise is just celebrating his newfound freedom. When the charges are formally dismissed, DuBoise will become Floridas 30th death-row exoneree since 1973, the most in the nation. His strength, courage, and determination for nearly four decades has made this day possible. Left; Robert and his mom, left, and his sister, right, on the day he was freed. His case is another example of the need to eliminate this Clean Hands Provision from Floridas Compensation law and provide access to fair and appropriate compensation for all of Floridas exonerees. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law. Robert DuBoise, 56, was freed in August last year after long-shelved untested DNA evidence from a rape kit proved he was innocent of the rape and murder of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa . Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. On September 14, 2020, Robert DuBoise became the 30th person exonerated from Florida's death row. My small donations dont seem much but together we can all make a difference! Robert DuBoise reunites with his sister Harriett DuBoise, attorney Susan Friedman, and mother Myra DuBoise following a 37-year wrongful incarceration on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020 in Bowling Green, Fla. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/AP Images for The Innocence Project). Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. In 2020, despite previous assurances that all the biological evidence from the rape kit was destroyed, slides from the victims autopsy were also found at the office of the Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County. Death Penalty Information Center | 1701 K Street NW Suite 205 Washington, DC 20006, Phone: 202-289-2275 | Email: [emailprotected], Privacy Policy | 2023 Death Penalty Information Center, Innocence Project Client Robert DuBoise Released After Nearly. All Rights Reserved. (August 27, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise walked free after spending almost 37 years in prison for a 1983 rape and murder in Tampa, Florida, he did not commit. I praise them for all they did. Robert Duboise served 37 years in Florida State Prison for the death of Barbara Grams, a 19-year-old Tampa woman police found beaten to death behind a dental practice in 1983. Susan Friedman, the Innocence Project lawyer representing DuBoise, said he maintained his innocence on Death Row and often in solitary confinement in six Florida prisons. Indiana and Missouri permit a judge to determine the sentence if jurors cannot reach a unanimous sentencing verdict. DuBoise was greeted outside the prison by his mother, Myra, his sister, Harriet, and Innocence Project lawyer, Susan Friedman. In brief remarks during the hearing, DuBoise, who was 18 at the time of the crime, said he had a lot of roadblocks thrown in my path. Mr DuBoise has been deprived of all the basic pleasures of human experience, which all free people enjoy as a matter of right., Florida man cleared of rape and murder convictions after 37 years in prison, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Warren, the chief prosecutor, said his office was undertaking a review with the Innocence Project of cases in the Tampa area in which convictions relied heavily on now-discredited bite mark evidence. Email: [emailprotected] In 2014, the Florida Supreme Court adopted a rule of criminal procedure requiring the prosecution to disclose impeachment evidence on jailhouse informants within 15 days of the defense requesting discovery materials. On September 14, 2020, Robert DuBoise became the 30th person exonerated from Floridas death row. Yet this was six months before Grams was slain. A jury convicted Mr. DuBoise of first-degree murder and attempted sexual battery in 1985, and a judge sentenced him to death. Grams was raped and beaten to death while walking home from her job at a restaurant on Aug. 19, 1983. and indictments stem from bite mark evidence, and the misapplication of forensic science was involved in 45 percent of DNA exoneration cases. Chris Bumbaca. Robert has spent over 36 years in prison because of discredited bite mark evidence and the testimony of an unreliable jailhouse informant who we now know received benefits in exchange for that testimony. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. He may be eligible for substantial compensation: in February, the state of Florida approved a $2 million compensation claim for a man whod been in prison since 1976 for a murder he didnt commit, CBS News reports. (September 14, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise was exonerated from all charges in the 1983 rape and murder of a young woman in Tampa, Florida. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Florida had recently launched its Conviction Review Unit (CRU) and planned to review cases of possible wrongful conviction from the jurisdiction. When questioned, the then-18-year-old DuBoise fully cooperated with the officers. No other physical evidence linked DuBoise to the crime. Burke, former Sgt. The Judge overseeing this case is DRAPER, CAROL E. According to the lawsuit, investigators initially focused on DuBoise after an attendant at a gas station across the street from where Grams body was found told police that three boys named Robert, Bo and Ray had been causing trouble in the area. The State sought this sentence reduction even though the Florida Parole and Probation Commission recommended against an earlier presumptive parole date. As part of the reinvestigation, Dr. Adam Freeman, a forensic odontologist, reviewed the bite mark and concluded the original "bite mark" evidence was not supported by modern science and the injury on the woman's cheek was not actually the result of a human bite. Robert Dubois in Florida. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. A free man for the first time since he was a teenager, Mr DuBoise must now put his life back together after almost 40 years in prison, the lawsuit says. Earlier this month, however, a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Fla., made a startling discovery: The county medical examiners office had preserved rape kit samples in the case that were not used in Mr. DuBoises trial. Marshall provided support for the claim by quoting several lines from a speech Souviron gave just before DuBoises trial. The Hillsborough County prosecutors office said Ms. Gramss family had been extremely understanding, but they are not prepared to make any public comments right now.. Robert DuBoise leaves the Hardee County Correctional Institute after 37 years in prison. As a result, the judge denied his request to test the other biological evidence and agreed on the States theory that excluding Robert from the evidence would still not prove his innocence. We found 28 records for people named Robert Dubois in 25 cities in Florida throughout Titusville, Orlando, and 23 more cities! The DNA profile was entered into CODIS and matched to an individual who had no connection to DuBoise. Judge Nash reduced that sentence to time served and set a September 14 hearing date for the presentation of evidence to overturn his conviction. Convicted of murder and sentenced to death, his sentence was reduced in 1988 to life in prison until his exoneration and release last year. Dan Sullivan, After 37years, hes free. Unlike other areas of forensic analysis, bite mark analysis lacks validated rules, regulations or processes for accreditation that would establish standards for the expert testimony. He has always maintained his innocence, but any hope of reversing his. 1:32. A Florida trial court has freed a former death-row prisoner after local prosecutors said new DNA evidence had proven his innocence of the rape and murder for which he was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death 37 years ago. Florida State Attorney's Office, Floridas newly established Conviction Review Unit agreed to review DuBoises case in September 2019, according to a, For one thing,the injury on Gramscheek likely wasnt a bite mark at all and even if it was, bite marks are no longer considered reliable evidence in identifying suspects, according to new expert testimony referenced in. Prior to his conviction, he was transported to Hillsborough County Jail where a jailhouse informant interacted with him and later falsely testified DuBoise had confessed to the crime during his time there. The only physical evidence implicating Mr DuBoise was fabricated bitemark evidence that supposedly matched Mr DuBoise to an injury on the victims body. On August 19, 1983, a young womans body was found behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. Souviron, whose practice is in Coral Gables, did not immediately return a telephone message Saturday seeking comment. I am Australian and want you to know that that there are others around the world that care about people such as yourself and support the Innocence Project and the work they do. Copyright 2023 LocatePeople.org. I cant get back the decades that I lost, but Im going to try to rebuild my life with my family. Burke and John Counsman and Sergeant R.H. Price.. Within weeks, through the cooperation of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorneys Office, the Innocence Project, and the local assistance of the Innocence Project of Florida, DuBoise was released from prison August 27, 2020, into the arms of his mother, Myra, his sister, Harriett, and his attorney Susan Friedman. A lab was able to conclusively exclude DuBoise as a perpetrator upon reviewing DNA evidence, Hall said. On October 22, the police brought DuBoise in at 2:00 a.m. and questioned him for about one hour. Join to connect PR. Once again, I apologize to Robert on behalf of the entire justice system for all he has gone through. The dentist, Dr Richard Souviron, gained notoriety as an expert after testifying in the murder trial of serial killer Ted Bundy that one of his Florida victims had a bite mark that matched his teeth. He was just 18 years old. They punish the innocent while allowing the actual perpetrator to go free. 2023 Innocence Project. Working with State Attorney Andrew Warrens Conviction Integrity Unit, the parties told the court that there was in fact no bite mark and that DNA evidence from an untested rape kit excluded DuBoise and implicated two other men. I am grateful to be here, now with a chance to move forward, but I know there are more innocent people like me still behind bars, said DuBoise. 0:00. This case was filed in Osceola County Courts, Not Classified By Court located in Osceola, Florida. Wrongful convictions deprive victims and their families of justice. The Innocence Project of Florida served as local counsel on the case. DuBoise was released after new DNA testing of the crime scene evidence that was thought to have been destroyed excluded him as the assailant. DuBoise has not yet been officially exonerated. The inmate claimed that DuBoise had confessed to raping and murdering Grams alongside two other men, Teresa Hall,supervising attorney for the Conviction Review Unit, saidin a Thursday hearing. In October 1983, DuBoise was arrested for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman based solely on unreliable bite mark evidence. Robert DuBoise, 56, wasfreed from prison in August 2020 after long-shelved, untested DNA evidence from a rape kit proved he was innocent of the slaying of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa. The Medical Examiner also identified what was thought to be a human bite-mark on the victims cheek. The informant denied obtaining any benefit in exchange for his testimony against DuBoise, but did admit that he considered one of the detectives to be a real good friend. Although the informant was potentially facing a life sentence for his other charges, he was given a plea deal with a sentence of five years. In August 2006, DuBoise filed a motion for post-conviction DNA testing. Dr. Souviron concluded that it was a match and detectives immediately arrested DuBoise who, at the time, was only 18 years old. After cooperating with law enforcement and providing a sworn statement in DuBoises case, he was offered a plea and sentenced to five years in prison. After 37 years of being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, Robert DuBoise was expected to be released from prison on Thursday, according to a press release from Hillsborough State. Im so happy to see that the Innocence Project has been successful in freeing another innocent person and so happy that youre free, Robert, but also incredibly sad for all you have lost. Then, last September, the Innocence Project asked Mr. Warrens office, which had created a Conviction Review Unit in 2018, to examine Mr. DuBoises case. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Far right Republicans wanted him executed years ago. The Conviction Review Unit (CRU) at the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit has announced that in light of the clear injustice that occurred in this case and the discreditation of bite mark analysis as a reliable scientific technique, they will collaborate with the Innocence Project to review Hillsborough County cases that utilized bite mark evidence to secure a conviction. Florida remains the only state to disqualify exonerees from compensation if they were formerly convicted of unrelated felony offenses. The Innocent project did their job. He served three years on death row before the Florida Supreme Court vacated his death sentence. When investigators began to identify suspects, they also came across a local resident who referred to Robert DuBoise as someone who caused problems at a hangout place in the area. During the medical examiners autopsy, he found a pattern injury on the victims face that was determined to be a human bite mark inflicted around the time of her death. Robert Dubois in Miami, FL 12 results - Robert Dubois may also have lived outside of Miami, such as Saint Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and 2 other cities in Florida. Have a tip or story idea? Yes, positively identified by DNA, Contributing Causes: Faulty Forensic Science, and Jailhouse Informant Testimony. This sentence was later reduced to life in prison and thats where he remained for more than three decades. Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL. Im just very grateful to all of you.. You can check his/her address, phone number, email address, and other info on this page. Weve had an innocent man locked up for a crime that he did not commit, while the real perpetrator was never held accountable for this horrific murder, Andrew H. Warren, the state attorney in Hillsborough County, Fla., said Wednesday. DNA evidence proved Robert DuBoise, who was released from prison last month, did not commit 1983 crime Robert DuBoise, 55, meets reporters with his sister Harriet, left, and mother Myra,. Fraud Alert:We have heard that there are people who fraudulently represent themselves as working for the Innocence Project of Florida, promising legal representation in exchange for money. Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. Mr. DuBoise was arrested in connection with Ms. Gramss killing when he was 18. He denied receiving any benefit in exchange for his testimony. 2. This directly contradicted the Assistant State Attorneys statement to the jury that the informant was in prison and that he would be going right back to prison to finish serving his sentence. Robert Dubois was wrongly convicted for a 1983 rape and murder. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The informant was facing multiple life sentences for kidnapping, armed robbery and battery of a law enforcement officer. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. If a judge approves the motion on Thursday, Mr. DuBoise could walk out of Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green, Fla., on Thursday afternoon, after 37 years behind bars. DuBoise has been deprived of all the basic pleasures of human experience, which all free people enjoy as a matter of right., Have a tip we should know? Weve had an innocent man locked up for a crime that he did not commit, while the real perpetrator was never held accountable for this horrific murder, Andrew H. Warren, the Hillsborough County state attorney, said at a news conference on Wednesday. The inmate claimed that DuBoise had confessed to raping and murdering Grams alongside two other men, Teresa Hall,supervising attorney for the Conviction Review Unit, saidin a. At a 2008 hearing, the Court Clerk testified that all the evidence admitted at DuBoises trial, which included the victims rape kit, were destroyed in 1990, just five years after his conviction. Wrongful convictions deprive victims and their families of justice; they deserve the truthnot false closure based on a false story. The Crime On August 19, 1983, a young woman's body was found behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. The DNA profile was entered into CODIS and matched to an individual who had no connection to DuBoise. It had instead been held in storage at the local medical examiners office, according to the case timeline. Floridas newly established Conviction Review Unit agreed to review DuBoises case in September 2019, according to a timeline the state attorneys office provided to Oxygen.com. No state any longer permits a judge to override a jurys recommendation for life. Anyone can read what you share. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, against former Tampa police Detectives Phillip Saladino and K.E. That was six months before Grams was killed. Warren said that his office was preparing court papers to complete the exoneration process. At the time, the inmate, who was facing a life sentence, claimed hed received no promises in exchange for testimony. To prove their case, prosecutors presented testimony from a local dentist who concluded that an injury on Ms. Gramss cheek was a bite mark, as well as testimony from a dental expert who said that Mr. DuBoise had inflicted the bite. Thank you for visiting us. The states theory at trial was that on Aug. 18, 1983, DuBoise, his brother Victor DuBoise and friend Raymond Garcia sexually assaulted and killed a 19-year-old woman, though only DuBoise was arrested and prosecuted for these crimes. The exculpatory DNA evidence freed Robert DuBoise of his wrongful conviction and made him Floridas 30th person exonerated after being sentenced to death. [emailprotected]. As part of this effort, both parties worked collaboratively to re-investigate this crime. Website by MADEO. Robert is related to Robert Eric Dubois and Mary Frances Dubois as well as 3 additional people. A forensic DNA analyst, Nancy Wilson, said two people were involved in the Grams assault, neither of them DuBoise. DNA evidence proved his innocense in the rape and murder of Barbara Grams. Even after nearly 37 years, a prosecutors job is to seek justice, and that obligation to seek justice never ends. 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Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. He always believed that the truth would come to light., DNA Evidence Exonerates Man in 1983 Rape and Killing, Prosecutors Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/robert-duboise-wrongful-conviction.html. Theres no question I feel terrible, he said. Good Luck Mr. DuBoise have a blessed life and enjoy every moment to the fullest. He may be eligible for substantial compensation: in February, the state of Florida approved a $2 million compensation claim for a man whod been in prison since 1976 for a murder he didnt commit. Today, Robert finally has some measure of justice. In 2020, through continued investigation and digging from the lead of the CRU and DuBoises counsel at the Innocence Project, slides of DNA from the original autopsy were discovered in storage at the office of the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner. DuBoise, who spent three years on death row, was released from prison in August 2020 after DNA testing conclusively showed that he did not commit the slaying. His innocence was proven after a review of the case by the Hillsborough County state attorneys office and the Innocence Project, which works nationwide to free prisoners who are wrongly convicted. As a result, the defense cannot raise concerns about the jailhouse informants motivations and reliability to the judge and jury. Find Robert Dubois's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 70s Robert Dubois Melbourne, FL (Bowe Gardens) View Full Report Addresses Thank you for visiting us. . Robert Ray Dubois, 73 Resides in Davenport, FL Lived In Kissimmee FL, Sevierville TN, Pigeon Forge TN, Bradford OH Related To William Dubois, Connie Dubois, Evelyn Dubois, Lisa Dubois, Diane Dubois Also known as Robert R Du Bois Includes Address (9) Phone (10) Email (2) See Results Robert Duane Dubois, 47 Resides in Daytona Beach, FL Mr. DuBoise is a man of faith, Ms. Friedman said, and hoped to go to church and the beach after his release. The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system. DuBoise never confessed to anyone and maintained his innocence throughout, his lawyers said. 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