
New panel could help cases like Bennett's
June 1, 2010
DNA evidence will not clear convicted killer Gary Bennett, who remains
behind bars as a result of 25-year-old testimony from a
since-discredited dog expert.
But lawyers for Bennett still believe they have a "strong case for
innocence."
Bennett was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 1984 for
the murder of his neighbor, Helen Nardi the year before. He has long
maintained his innocence. He passed a lie detector test. He could not
be tied to the case by a rape kit examination. And several people
testified he was elsewhere when Nardi was sexually assaulted and
murdered.
The state attorney's office used a familiar strategy in convicting
Bennett -- employing testimony from dog handler John Preston in
combination with a jailhouse snitch who came forward in return for
promises of leniency. Others convicted by the same method, who have
since been cleared or their convictions overturned, include Wilton
Dedge, Juan Ramos and William Dillon.
DNA evidence led to the release of Dedge and Dillon. Ramos was awarded
a new trial based on the Florida Supreme Court's rejection of Preston's
testimony. Without that damning testimony, Ramos was found not guilty
and released.
Paul Casteleiro, the New Jersey attorney who represents Bennett, is
hoping Preston's involvement will yield a similar outcome for his
client.
"We are planning within the next month or so to file a motion for post
conviction relief attacking the conviction in large part based on the
dog scent lineup so-called evidence," he said. "Unfortunately, our
attempts to obtain DNA evidence failed. They couldn't find any DNA on
the vaginal or oral swabs."
Nardi was 55 when she was stabbed to death. Records indicated she was
having regular sexual relations with her 65-year-old son-in-law, Kermit
Parkins, who had married Nardi's 16-year-old daughter when he was 53.
Parkins was never considered a suspect in the case despite the unusual
relationships. Later, police discovered he used to rent a trailer from
the lead investigator in the case, Palm Bay police Detective Leroy
Dunning.
Preston, who was exposed as a fraud in 1984, testified that his dog
linked Bennett's scent to the weapons used to kill Nardi, despite the
fact crime scene investigators preserved the items in strong-smelling
chemicals.
During another "scent lineup," Preston's dog urinated on washcloths
saturated with blood, including one gathered from the crime scene. That
ruined the evidence.
Bennett is one of four Brevard County men still in prison who Preston
testified against. The others are:
- Frank Berry, sentenced to 124 years in prison
in the rape of a Merritt Island woman in 1981.
- Gary Dirk, sentenced to life in prison in a
burglary and rape in 1985.
- Mark Wayne Jones, serving double life
sentences in the murders of two Titusville women in 1981.
New Commission
Cateleiro's latest post-conviction efforts on Bennett's behalf come as
the Florida Supreme Court has started soliciting applications for an
attorney to head the new Innocence Commission -- a panel charged with
examining the systemic issues relating to wrongful convictions.
The commission will make recommendations for judicial reform to the
Supreme Court.
"We are encouraged that the Florida Supreme Court is working quickly to
create and staff the new Innocence Commission," said Seth Miller,
executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, a non-profit
group that works to free wrongfully incarcerated prisoners. "(We look)
forward to working with the Chief Justice to make the work of the
Commission valuable and beneficial to the future of Florida's criminal
justice system."
State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, helped secure funding
for the commission during the latest legislative session. He became
involved in the issue as a result of his work on a wrongful
incarceration compensation bill for Dillon, which did not make it to
the floor this year.
In 2005, Haridopolos successfully sponsored a compensation bill for
Wilton Dedge, a Port St. John man who spent more than 20 years in
prison for rape before DNA evidence proved his innocence.
"I'm very pleased," Haridopolos said. "This is a great move forward for
justice in the state of Florida. It means cases like Wilton Dedge and
William Dillon will never happen again."
Next year Haridopolos takes over as president of the Florida Senate.
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