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. The Innocence Project is advocating for legislation to remove this provision. Beyond that, wrongful convictions threaten public safety, putting an innocent person behind bars while the actual person who committed the crime goes free, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said. Burke, former Sgt. In 1983, no reasonable dentist or forensic odontologist believed that bite mark molds made from beeswax impressions constituted a reliable or generally accepted basis for either identifying or excluding potential murder suspects, the suit states. Dr. Richard Souviron, a forensic odontologist, advised detectives to obtain bite mark impressions from potential suspects. Robert C Dubois, Age 91 Open report >> Lives: Sarasota, FL, in zip codes 34237 and 34235; The family of the victim deserves to have the truth, and this new evidence helps reveal the truth for all of us., Mr. Warren said he had apologized to Mr. DuBoise on behalf of the entire criminal justice system., The only person who benefits from wrongful conviction is the actual perpetrator, Mr. Warren said. For 37 years, weve had an innocent man locked up in prisonwhile the real perpetrator was never held accountable for this heinous crime. There are really true-hearted people in these offices now, he said. 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. There was no other evidence connecting DuBoise to the crime until he was transported to Hillsborough County Jail where a jailhouse informant falsely alleged that DuBoise made statements implicating himself in the crime. During the investigation it was discovered that after a death sentence was secured, DuBoises trial prosecutor filed a motion to mitigate the jailhouse informants sentence and the court granted the order finding that the jailhouse informant had totally cooperated with the State of Florida in the Capital Murder trial of Robert E. DuBoise. The informant was immediately released despite an earlier determination by the Florida Parole and Probation Commission that he should not be granted an earlier presumptive parole date. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Left; Robert and his mom, left, and his sister, right, on the day he was freed. Robert Dubois was wrongly convicted for a 1983 rape and murder. They have also lived in Indialantic, FL and Fort Myers, FL. The lawsuit claims beeswax was not an accepted method of identifying teeth marks in murder cases and was used only because another officer in the Tampa police department operated a honey business on the side. Indiana and Missouri permit a judge to determine the sentence if jurors cannot reach a unanimous sentencing verdict. Thank you for visiting us. DuBoise was released after new DNA testing of the crime scene evidence that was thought to have been destroyed excluded him as the assailant. In fact, the victims injury was not a human bite mark at all, wroteDaniel Marshall, an attorney for the Human Rights Defense Center representing DuBoise. Report this profile . Robert DuBoise, 55, has spent two-thirds of his life behind bars for the 1983 rape and killing of a woman in Tampa, Fla. This case was filed in Osceola County Courts, Not Classified By Court located in Osceola, Florida. DNA testing was conducted this summer and found that DNA from two males was present and excluded DuBoise. At the time, the inmate, who was facing a life sentence, claimed hed received no promises in exchange for testimony. The state attorney is now looking into other cases. Warren said that his office was preparing court papers to complete the exoneration process. The Innocence Project of Florida provides all legal representation for free. 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. Robert Dubois in Florida. Its been amazing. If you believe you have been contacted by such a person, pleasecontact us. This wont be easy, but it will be worth it, he said. Thank you for visiting us. 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 significant changes in the understanding of bite mark evidence have led the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) to revise its standards and guidelines to explicitly state that an ABFO Diplomate shall not express conclusions unconditionally linking a bite mark to a dentition. As a result, the forensic odontologists testimony in DuBoises case would no longer be admissible. The family of the victim deserves to have the truth, as painful as it may be. I can never regain the birthdays, holidays and precious time I lost with them, nevermind the life I could have made for myself. In the decades since, however, forensic experts have largely abandoned using bitemarks to identify suspects. Robert A. Dubois Obituary. Photo of Robert DuBois hugging his mother by Martha Asencio-Rhine, Tampa BayTimes. After 37 years behind bars, a Florida man was formally cleared on Monday of a 1983 rape and murder which DNA evidence proved he did not commit. The promise or expectation of receiving leniency or other benefits for their testimony creates a strong incentive for these witnesses to lie. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 70s Robert Dubois Melbourne, FL (Bowe Gardens) View Full Report Addresses All Rights Reserved. The case against DuBoise was weak from the start. Prosecutors and Mr. DuBoises lawyer said they would then begin the lengthier process of asking the court to reverse his conviction and exonerate him. 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. He now has the freedom he has deserved all along. Im not sure it can get any worse other than all the men that came before him and were executed. Mr. Judge Christopher. DuBoise was released from the Hardee Correctional Institution in central Florida on 27 August, to be reunited with his mother and sister. 1:32. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. provided cannot be used for any unlawful purpose. Susan Friedman, an Innocence Project lawyer who represents Mr. DuBoise, said she told him on Monday that he had been cleared by DNA testing and was going to be set free. The Innocence Project of Florida served as local counsel on the case. Im comforted by knowing that weve provided the truth now to this community, and especially to the victims family who were given false closure based on a false story all these years.. DuBoise was re-sentenced to life for the murder and 15 years for the attempted sexual battery to run consecutively. Including DuBoises case in the calculations, 22 of the 24 Florida exonerations for which the jurys sentencing vote is known (91.7%) have been in these cases. The promise or expectation of receiving leniency or other benefits for their testimony creates a strong incentive for these witnesses to lie. We provide personal details related to Robert Dubois in Florida(FL). The Medical Examiner also identified what was thought to be a human bite-mark on the victims cheek. He was released from prison last month. By 2018, it was well known that bite mark evidence had led to wrongful convictions. Copyright 2023 LocatePeople.org. and indictments stem from bite mark evidence, and the misapplication of forensic science was involved in 45 percent of DNA exoneration cases. One of them who was a major contributor of DNA on the samples meaning more of his genetic material was present is now considered a person of interest in the killing of Ms. Grams, who was found raped and beaten to death behind a Tampa dental office in 1983. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Robert DuBoise, 55, has spent two-thirds of his life behind bars for the 1983 rape and killing of a woman in Tampa, Fla. Detectives sought out the opinion of a second odontologist, Dr. Richard Souviron, who advised police to start collecting bite mark impressions from potential suspects. In 1988, the Florida Supreme Court changed the sentence to life in prison. Robert is a very patient person, Ms. Friedman said. 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. 2023 Innocence Project. The Innocence Project urged the CRU to review the case based on concerns about the validity of forensic bite mark evidence and the heavy reliance on that evidence in this case. In many wrongful convictions, such as DuBoises, these benefits provided in exchange for their testimony are never disclosed. 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. He concluded that the original bite mark conclusions are unsupported by science and, most critically, found that although two experts at trial concluded that the pattern injury was a bite mark, the injury in this case was in fact not a bite mark. The murder will return to the unsolved file. 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. 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. DuBoise never confessed and maintained his innocence throughout, his lawyers said. Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. The brother and friend were never charged because there was no other evidence against them, prosecutors said. 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. Receiving leniency or other benefits for their testimony are never disclosed to determine the sentence jurors. 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