When Carolyn Muncey's body was found in the woods near her home in rural Union County, Tenn., it didn't take police long to finger a suspect.
Paul House had a prior conviction for aggravated sexual assault and prosecutors later told the jury at his murder trial that investigators found his semen on Mrs. Muncey's clothing. Mr. House was convicted and sent to Tennessee's death row to await his execution.
There was just one problem - the semen belonged to the victim's husband, whom defense lawyers say is the actual killer.
Now 20 years after his murder conviction, House's case arrives Wednesday at the US Supreme Court where the justices are being asked to decide how federal courts should weigh scientific evidence - like DNA test results - when considering whether to grant a convict a new appeal even after all allowable appeals have been exhausted.
The case, House v. Bell, is important because it marks the first time the justices have agreed to examine a case involving post-conviction appeals based on DNA testing. The technology has proved efficient and reliable in identifying innocent defendants who have been convicted and imprisoned. But analysts say that technology may go for naught in many cases unless the high court explicitly recognizes the value of science-based evidence, even long after the crime has taken place and all appeals have been used up.
Details here from the Christian Science Monitor.