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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Joshua Keyser was exonerated after 16 years for Michelle Lawless's murder due to recanted testimonies and re-evaluated forensic evidence.
- ❖New DNA evidence from Dutch experts implicated Mark Abbott and Leon Lamb in Michelle Lawless's unsolved murder.
- ❖Steve McDow confessed to strangling his ex-wife Crystal McDow during Hurricane Harvey, after surveillance footage showed him ditching her car and his children were removed from his custody.
- ❖Kurt Sonnenfeld, accused of killing his wife Nancy, evaded US extradition from Argentina by claiming a US government conspiracy related to 9/11 and citing the death penalty.
Insights
1Wrongful Conviction and Exoneration in Michelle Lawless Murder
Joshua Keyser was convicted in 1994 for the 1992 murder of Michelle Lawless, based on jailhouse informant testimonies and a witness identification. After serving 16 years, new Sheriff Rick Walter reopened the case. Informants recanted, 'blood' evidence on Keyser's jacket was disproven, and a key witness admitted to being pressured by the former sheriff. Keyser was declared innocent in 2009.
Jailhouse informants admitted they lied (), luminol tests on Keyser's jacket were not blood (), and witness Chantel Krider recanted, stating she was pressured by then-Sheriff Bill Frell ().
2New Suspects Emerge in Unsolved Lawless Case
Following Keyser's exoneration, the investigation into Michelle Lawless's murder focused on new suspects. Mark Abbott, who initially reported finding Michelle, had an inconsistent story and his DNA was found on Michelle's clothing in places inconsistent with his account. Leon Lamb, Michelle's boyfriend, had his DNA mixed with Michelle's blood under her fingernails, which he attributed to consensual sex and arguments.
Mark Abbott's story of reaching through a partially open window to grab Michelle was contradicted by the sheriff (). Dutch forensic experts found Abbott's DNA in multiple places on Michelle's clothes (). Leon Lamb confirmed his DNA was under Michelle's fingernails and explained it by their passionate relationship and arguments ().
3Hurricane Harvey Complicates Crystal McDow Murder Investigation
The disappearance and murder of Crystal McDow occurred amidst Hurricane Harvey, severely hampering initial search efforts and evidence collection. Despite the chaos, investigators persisted, eventually focusing on her ex-husband, Steve McDow.
Deputies and Texas Rangers, some flooded out of their own homes, continued to work the case (). The hurricane's floodwaters washed away potential evidence from a trash can where Steve McDow was seen discarding items ().
4Steve McDow's Confession and Conviction
Steve McDow, Crystal's ex-husband, became the prime suspect after surveillance footage showed him abandoning Crystal's car and then riding a bicycle away. Under pressure, especially after his children were removed by protective services, McDow confessed to strangling Crystal during an argument and led investigators to her body. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years.
Security video from a Shell gas station showed Steve McDow discarding items in a trash can near where Crystal's car was found (). Another video from Motel 6 showed him parking Crystal's car (). A Walmart video showed him riding a bicycle away (). His children were removed from his custody (), after which he confessed to strangling Crystal () and led police to her body ().
5Kurt Sonnenfeld Evades US Extradition Through 9/11 Conspiracy Claims
Kurt Sonnenfeld, accused of murdering his wife Nancy in 2002, fled to Argentina after initial charges were dropped and then refiled. He successfully fought extradition by leveraging Argentina's human rights laws (due to Colorado's death penalty) and promoting a conspiracy theory that the US government was persecuting him for what he supposedly witnessed at Ground Zero after 9/11. This narrative gained him significant support in Argentina.
Kurt Sonnenfeld was arrested by Interpol in Argentina but a judge rejected extradition due to Colorado's death penalty (). He claimed US authorities were after him for what he saw at Ground Zero (), a claim he repeated in Argentinian media (). His wife and human rights activists supported his claims (). In 2015, Argentina's President ruled against extradition, citing human rights violations ().
Quotes
"If she knew them, and I believe that she did know them, I think she knew how bad they were and how serious this situation was. And and maybe that's why she ended down at the bottom of the hill. Maybe she was running for her life and they caught her."
"Whoever shot my sister killed my family. Every ounce of it, every fiber that held it together."
"This wasn't a cold case. This was a closed case."
"I regret it horribly. It affects me every day. An innocent man has been locked up and he doesn't deserve to be."
"I kept thinking, 'He's going to kill those kids. He's going to kill those kids.'"
"I asked him, 'Do you know where the body is?' And he just like looked away from me and just like baldled his eyes out. And at that point, I knew like he knew where it was."
"Attended suicides, people rarely kill themselves in front of other people. Most suicides occur when people are alone."
"He is the whistleblower, the a brave man who stood up to a corrupt government. This stuff comes up after his arrest in Argentina when he starts making this and the prosecutor and I are looking at each other like where did that come from? Yes, he was. But he's also an exceptional liar."
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