About covering the Elkins case

jeremy, maine — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:12:11 GMT

Why stop with this story, why not keep going. I personally have had the very same thing happen to my family. Prosecutors have all the money and all the weight in court and defense has to prove its innocence. Its not about justice, its about who has the most money and most hired guns. Investigate why prosecutors sacrifice innocent people like my wife on the altar of convience.

About covering the Elkins case

lucinda, Sault Ste. Marie, ontario — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:14:00 GMT

i would like to write to clarence, my heart goes out to him and I think that our emails would be good for each other. if I cant i wish him well and that there is no life, just survival, but I shall think of him.

About covering the Elkins case

Sandy, Upstate, New York — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:17:22 GMT

I am just so surprised after everything she did to prove her husbands innocence and free him, he leaves her. She fought so hard for him and her family she lost everything because of this. Does he realize what she has done, what she accomplished? I feel for his loss of life for eight years but she deserves alot for what she did. If she didn't believe in him he would still be in jail. I would like to know how she is dealing with the fact he left her.

About covering the Elkins case

Christine Monetti, Decatur, Illinois — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:20:27 GMT

I saw the show and was amazed by the strengh and conviction of Melinda Elkins. It's a ahame that after all her hard work that their marriage ended. It's to bad that our system would rather keep an innocent person in prison than admit they were wrong. I hope that family heals and my prayers are with them.

About covering the Elkins case

corianna thompson slingerlands, ny — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:20:40 GMT

i commend you melinda for your perserverence... i am going through a very similar situation... my mother was murdered 2 yrs ago this tues. march 13th... and they charged me with the crime ( her daughter) luckily i only spent 8 months in county jail and it never went to trial and no indictment... but the sherriff's dept are still determined its me and thank god for the insights of the DA's office... but the true killer still walks free and it is truely agonizing... i identified with the lack of closure and the anger at the killer and the local sherriff's... plus i haven't really been cleared until the true killer is caught... so thanks for giving me hope... and i watch forensic files all the time also.. people told me it was morbid that i watch it so much but the show gives me hope and ideas.. i have also been very active in the investigation... interent research and speaking to some people but my situation is quite different due to the false charges made against me... it goes quite a bit deeper than what i can include here but feel free to email me at anytime... i pray for them to get that guy convicted on your mom's murder before his release in 2009...

About covering the Elkins case

Luanne T. Richie, Denver, Colorado — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:23:43 GMT

Mr. Gilmartin..Please, stay with this story.There is something basically toxic about the handling of this affair. Who was the judge that presided over this case and refused to consider, at the very least, a possible re-trial ....I can't believe he wasn't involved in some of the conversation regarding the new witness statement, dna findings etc. Anxious for a follow-up on new charges filed against Earl Mann. Thank you for your professional presentation of this case. Luanne T. Richieo

About covering the Elkins case

Ken Wyniemko, Rochester Hills, MI — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:47:22 GMT

Hi Bob, I want to thank you for your production on Clarence Elkin's story. It is truly amazing and, unfortunately, cases like his happen much too often. I had the pleasure of meeting Clarence last year in Seattle, WA, while attending the National Innocence Project Network Conference. I, too, am an innocent person who was wrongfully convicted of a rape I did not commit and spent nearly ten years in prison. I am so happy that Dateline has taken the time and interest into exposing the cases of those who are wrongfully convicted and I hope and pray that you will continue to do so. Since my exoneration on Juen 17, 2003, I have been a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and I have toured the country speaking out on the problems in our judicial system. It is a dream of mine that Dateline will take the time to gather all 196 DNA exonerees from across the country on one show to make a major impact on the public. I pray that you will take my suggestion to heart and make that possible. If you would like more information on me, you can google my name, Ken Wyniemko and read about my case. You can also google www.innocenceproject.org and review my case. God bless.

About covering the Elkins case

PLV, ohio — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:48:26 GMT

Mr. Gilmartin, Thank you for your persistance in getting the information you needed to report THE TRUTH in this case - not what the prosecution wants people to know - which is NOTHING. I know both Clarence and Melinda. You are right...Clarence is a gentle soul that wouldn't hurt anyone. Melinda knew this about Clarence, knew the truth and refused to give up even when her back was against the wall. They both have been great friends and great sources of comfort to myself and two of my friends that have been wrongfully incarcerated for 16-1/2 yrs (awaiting a retrial).

About covering the Elkins case

Annamarie — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:18:15 GMT

This sort of reminds me of the OJ trial, only reversed, the inocent gets locked up, and the guilty go free, this is our new society

About covering the Elkins case

Rudy, Wauwatosa, WI — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:03:09 GMT

I was very intrigued with this story and amazed at the strength of Melinda and Clarence. My main concern after watching was wondering why nothing was said of Earl Mann's common law wife for supposedly hiding the fact that she obviously felt there was a possibiliity of Earl being the perpetrator, shown by the way she made the very young and traumatized girl sit out on her porch before taking her home and never called 911. I'm shocked that nothing was said about her behavior. Will charges be filed against her?

About covering the Elkins case

ABM, Rutherfordton, NC — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:47:44 GMT

Something about this bothered me, but was not mentioned in the report. Why did police not question that neighbor at the time of the murder? Anyone reading this would think that a convicted child rapist should be considered a suspect from the beginning. Further more, and possibly even more important, is why Clarance's first attorneys did nothing to investigate that neighbor. If they had brought that up at the first trial, it might have at least been considered reasonable doubt. If I were Clarance, I'd be looking to them for answers, as well as monitary damages. They did a poor job of defending him.

About covering the Elkins case

Carolyn Stephan, Wixom MI — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:58:14 GMT

I am so glad this is being published for people to see this really happens. I am going through a situation where my husband was arrested 20 years after the case had been closed and presumed accidental. We have been fighting for over 6 years and have no clue what we are to do next as lawyers have taken our money and done nothing. My husband was sentenced to life w/o parole. We are in Michigan so this shows you it happens in all states! God Bless Melinda and Clarence and family.

About covering the Elkins case

Donna McDaniel Charlotte, NC — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:36:46 GMT

--Clarence DID NOT LEAVE MELINDA, She asked him to leave, because while he was in prison, she fell in love with another man!

About covering the Elkins case

Donna McDaniel Charlotte, NC — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:40:22 GMT

The whole case was, this whole deal, a total miscarriage of justice. He should get millions and all the so called law enforcement figures and officers of the court should never be able to work in that profession again,EVER, even better, would be to lock them all up for seven years andsee how they like it.

About covering the Elkins case

Leslie waldon, Graham, Texas — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:53:51 GMT

What about the DNA?? Why has it not been done. I just finished watching Notorious on Satelite. I am pissed. Get Clarence home with his wife. Just tell me what I can do. I will help in anyway possible to get this man home.

About covering the Elkins case

P Moses Memphis, Tn — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:06:36 GMT

This is certainly a horrible injustice. You have to wonder what happens to a mild meek man inside the walls of a prison. I can understand why the marriage did not survive after being in prison for such a long time. He is free now but his mind and memories of the nights in prison will be forever held captive.

About covering the Elkins case

carl knoeppel — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:10:39 GMT

I have a c d with 400 pictures on it that shows how I am being abused by the people that are suppose to be taking care of me. I have a brain injury and and I ned to send you this C D. Universal institude in Livingston New Jersey in stealing Medicare money that are supose to be going to the handicapped. Send me a postal mailing address and I will send you this C D.

About covering the Elkins case

Angry in Texas — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:38:05 GMT

Well, I hope someone looks into Mr Knoeppel's post above. With regards to Mr. Elkin's case I was unable to watch the NBC Dateline piece, but caught the A&E American Justice production. Even though the viewer's journey concludes with seeing the Elkin's winning their battle, you can sense the tension and unease in the air of the Elkin's household during the end credits. Essentially there is a stranger in their home after eight years of living a life without their dad and husband. I'm not surprised that Melinda Elkins had fallen in love during that time, and that the marriage did not work out. I only hope that Clarence will find a successful relationship with his sons and grandchildren. I was so angered at the DA's office and their Nazi SS-like prosecutor, Michael Carroll, and that fascist judge as well. I hope they get theirs. There should be new legislation to make people accountable for clear negligence and "intentional" miscarriages of justice. I'm not talking about opening the few of our hard working and dedicated prosecutors and judges to inane lawsuits from the public, but some sort of vehicle that would allow inept public servants who care only to further their career currency and egos a way for their victims to seek recourse.

About covering the Elkins case

Linda, San Diego, CA — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:53:47 GMT

Clarence, Melinda, and family: First, Thank God you are out of prison, Clarence. None of us expect to live a tragic life, but that is what has been forced upon you all. Although some injuries never heal completely, I hope that you may now start to fill your life with healthy, joyous moments. I commend Melinda and your family for their dogged persistence in fighting the injustices inherent in this case. My heart goes out to you all for the loss of your mother, the rape of your young niece, and the theft of your lives -- both as individuals and together as a family. I pray that as a society we may some day correct the denegration of our justice system and stop creating and/or punishing the victims. My best wishes to you all.

About covering the Elkins case

tom knoeppel, lansdale, pa — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:58:15 GMT

I'm Carl Knoeppel's brother Tom. I've seen the pictures of where they put him to live. There was a crime committed there. It should be loooked into. Laws are being broken. No one should have to go through that, no less someone handicapped.

About covering the Elkins case

Kelly Davis, St. Albans, VT — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:51:30 GMT

I am extremely disgusted with the overall justice system in this country. I live in VT and am trying to figure out which way to go about overturning my own wrongful conviction. If you don't hire or have the money to hire a lawyer of your own whether you're innocent or not, there's a high probability that you could suffer the consequences of a crime you didn't commit. State's attorneys need to focus more on achieving justice in lieu of just winning a game of who puts on the better theatrical performance. They really need to consider the damage that is done to a person's life and their family when they don't care if the accused is actually innocent. This leads us to the conclusion, in which I'm sure a lot of people would agree that "THE COLOR OF JUSTICE IS GREEN!"

About covering the Elkins case

Trevor, Canada — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:03:10 GMT

Something is seriously flawed in the American justice system. I watched the A&E show on this case and it is infuriating. Using new DNA testing they confirmed male DNA present on the victim's underwear and elsewhere. They had tested the evidence for male DNA to see if another suspect could be excluded from the case. This test in fact successfully EXCLUDED this other suspect because his DNA was not on the biological evidence and another MALES DNA was evident. It is mind blowing to me that if one person can be scientifically and legally excluded due to this new test and that another person is scientifically excluded using that same test but the judge DENIED another trial. The district attorney picked up the underwear with his bare hands while in court it was outrageous to watch this.

The prosecutor said almost these exact words when questioned by the judge. "This test was conducted to EXCLUDE Reynolds, and it did exclude him." The judge asks if Elkins was excluded based on the results of this test. The prosecutor says yes but that wouldn't have affected the results of the original trial because that trial was based on eye witness testimony.

This obviously shows that the results of the original trial are incorrect, the judge failed to see this, or if she did she legally couldn't do anything about it. The lack of logic in the legal and justice system is disgusting.