Its been amazing. No one else has been arrested for her murder. The testimony of DuBoises fellow inmate was also called into doubt. On Sept. 11, 2020, the State filed its response asking that the Court find DuBoise innocent of the charges against him and to signify the Courts ruling as an exoneration of Mr. Robert DuBoise. The CRU also issued a Summary Fact Finding Report that stated that if Mr. DuBoise would be retried today, there would be clear and convincing evidence that he is innocent of the charges against him.. 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. 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. Very little pointed to 18-year-old Robert DuBoise as the man responsible for the vicious rape and murder of 19-year-old Barbara Grams, who was found bludgeoned to death in August 1983. I hope that my story helps others to keep fighting to prove their innocence. While the state is constitutionally obligated to provide the defense with key information related to the credibility of jailhouse informants, such as the benefits provided for their testimony, in many wrongful convictions this evidence is never disclosed. . DuBoise was re-sentenced to life for the murder and 15 years for the attempted sexual battery to run consecutively. He was sentenced to death, then re-sentenced to life. Cops Who Became Cold Blooded Murderers. The Conviction Review Unit will continue to work with the court to finish exonerating DuBoise,Hall said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. Were righting this wrong today, finally.. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. DNA testing showed that DNA from two males was present and excluded DuBoise, Victor DuBoise and Raymond Garcia. 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. Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182 Im so happy to see that the Innocence Project has been successful in freeing another innocent person and so happy that youre free, Robert, but also incredibly sad for all you have lost. On September 14, 2020, Robert DuBoise became the 30th person exonerated from Floridas death row. All Rights Reserved. All Rights It had instead been held in storage at the local medical examiners office, according to the case timeline. In a hearing two years later, the Court Clerk testified that all of the evidence admitted into his original trial was destroyed in 1990. That was six months before Grams was killed. For decades, forensic odontologists testified that they could identify the source of a bite mark. In 2020, through continued investigation and digging from the lead of the CRU and DuBoises counsel at the Innocence Project, slides of DNA from the original autopsy were discovered in storage at the office of the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 14 connections. Robert DuBoise A man in Florida who was exonerated after spending 37 years in prison for a 1983 rape and murder filed a lawsuit against police officials and the forensic dentist who testified against him, claiming they "knowingly fabricated" evidence used to convict him. Warren said that his office was preparing court papers to complete the exoneration process. He denied receiving any benefit in exchange for his testimony. From a human point of view, of course, I feel terrible, Souviron reportedly said, adding: I played a part in his conviction. DuBoise is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: The CRU announced their collaboration with the Innocence Project to audit prior cases involving bite mark evidence. The dentist, Dr Richard Souviron, gained notoriety as an expert after testifying in the murder trial of serial killer Ted Bundy that one of his Florida victims had a bite mark that matched his teeth. Although DuBoise was the charged perpetrator, there was no other physical or circumstantial evidence connecting him to the attack. (Page 2) Mr. As part of this effort, both parties worked collaboratively to re-investigate this crime. Robert Michael Dubois, 45. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Another leading factor in wrongful convictions nationally is jailhouse informant testimony, playing a role in 17 percent of the 375 DNA-based exoneration cases. , which is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The DNA testing, prosecutors said, had identified two other men. All original evidence was thought to have been destroyed, as was noted by the court at an earlier time Soon after this discovery, DNA testing on the remaining evidence revealed positive identification of male DNA from the perpetrator and excluded Robert DuBoise as a contributor. The Conviction Review Unit will continue to work with the court to finish exonerating DuBoise,Hall said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. In brief remarks during the hearing, DuBoise, who was 18 at the time of the crime, said he had a lot of roadblocks thrown in my path. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. DuBoise has been deprived of all the basic pleasures of human experience, which all free people enjoy as a matter of right., Have a tip we should know? and indictments stem from bite mark evidence, and the misapplication of forensic science was involved in 45 percent of DNA exoneration cases. We knew that Roberts conviction rested on two leading causes of wrongful convictions jailhouse informant testimony and faulty forensicsand today, there is indisputable scientific evidence that proves his innocence. 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. They punish the innocent while allowing the actual perpetrator to go free. Robert is a very patient person, Ms. Friedman said. To prove their case, prosecutors presented testimony from a local dentist who concluded that an injury on Ms. Gramss cheek was a bite mark, as well as testimony from a dental expert who said that Mr. DuBoise had inflicted the bite. In a speech he gave to a police chiefs meeting before the DuBoise case, the lawsuit quotes Souviron as saying if you tell me that is the guy that did it, I will go into court and say that is the guy that did it., 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.. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Prosecutors declined to reveal the persons identity but said he poses no threat to public safety.. . After cooperating with law enforcement and providing a sworn statement in DuBoises case, he was offered a plea and sentenced to five years in prison. Refine Your Search Results. Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. Theres no question I feel terrible, he said. He has always maintained his innocence, but any hope of reversing his. Born in Manchester, NH on November 18, 1952, Robert was a son of the late Robert and Irene (Delisle) Dubois. He concluded that the original bite mark conclusions are unsupported by science and, most critically, found that although three experts at trial concluded that the mark on the victims cheek was a bite mark, the injury in this case was in fact not a bite mark. The informant had several criminal charges pending, including kidnapping, armed robbery and battery on a law enforcement officer. DuBoise will be the 171st documented death-row exoneration in the U.S. since 1973. Robert DuBoise, 56, was just 18 years old when he was wrongfully imprisoned for the death of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa, Florida. Based on the junk science of bite mark evidence and the unreliable testimony of a jailhouse informant, DuBoise was convicted and sentenced to death. There are really true-hearted people in these offices now, he said. (Page 4) I praise them for all they did. Finally, the Conviction Review Unit discoveredthat Gramsrape kit hadnt been destroyed after all. Butthe inmate was released from prison just 18 months after DuBoise's conviction, Hall said. No state any longer permits a judge to override a jurys recommendation for life. Report this profile . Photo: The Crime On August 19, 1983, a young woman's body was found behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. In March 1985, a jury convicted DuBoise of capital murder and attempted sexual battery and recommended a life sentence, but the judge overrode the recommendation and sentenced DuBoise to death. In 2018, the Innocence Project began to review DuBoises case. We found 28 records for people named Robert Dubois in 25 cities in Florida throughout Titusville, Orlando, and 23 more cities! John Counsman, and forensic dentist Dr. Richard Souviron. Find Robert Dubois's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. I am grateful to the Conviction Review Unit for their partnership on this case and look forward to collaborating on re-examining other bite mark cases to identify other wrongful convictions that resulted from the use of this highly unreliable evidence. said Susan Friedman, DuBoises Innocence Project attorney. Robert Dubois in Florida. Robert Alan Dubois, 58 Resides in Glendale, AZ Lived In Scottsdale AZ, Fort Lauderdale FL, Phoenix AZ, Oak View CA Related To Keith Dubois, Jordan Dubois, Rhonda Dubois, K Dubois Also known as Robert A Duborj Includes Address (9) Phone (4) See Results Robert E Dubois, 63 Resides in Valparaiso, FL Lived In Niceville FL, York PA, Wrightsville PA Photo of Robert DuBois hugging his mother by Martha Asencio-Rhine, Tampa BayTimes. Beyond that, wrongful convictions threaten public safety, putting an innocent person behind bars while the actual person who committed the crime goes free.. So when he heard the news he was thrilled, but his reaction was, Its like waking up from a nightmare., Ms. Gramss family could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. On Sept. 10, 2020, the Innocence Project filed a Motion for Post-Conviction Relief and Vacate Judgment and Sentence based on newly discovered evidence. The Medical Examiner also identified what was thought to be a human bite-mark on the victims cheek. STAFF LOGIN. Fraud Alert:We have heard that there are people who fraudulently represent themselves as working for the Innocence Project of Florida, promising legal representation in exchange for money. Robert has spent decades determined to show that he was wrongfully convicted, and we are eager to see him fully exonerated, said Susan Friedman, DuBoises Innocence Project attorney. 2023 Innocence Project. The State sought this sentence reduction even though the Florida Parole and Probation Commission recommended against an earlier presumptive parole date. One violent felony or more than one nonviolent felony will disqualify a person from Floridas Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act which grants $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment by the State. No other physical evidence linked DuBoise to the crime. The complaint further claims that investigators fabricated evidence and withheld exculpatory evidence relating to jailhouse informants, falsely contending that Mr. DuBoise confessed to the crime.. Robert DuBoise leaves the Hardee County Correctional Institute after 37 years in prison. Robert N Dubois Address: 3600 Oak Tree Ln Titusville, FL 32780 Name: Robert N Dubois Address: 3600 Oak Tree Ln Titusville, FL 32780 Phone: (321) 544-5346 Dwelling Type: Single Family Dwelling Unit Length of Residence: Under one year Median Home Value: $975,000 Median Household Income: $578,000 Vehicle: 2003 NISSAN FRONTIER Report ID: 42214660 By 2018, it was well known that bite mark evidence had led to wrongful convictions. A forensic DNA analyst, Nancy Wilson, said two people were involved in the Grams assault, neither of them DuBoise. DNA testing was conducted this summer and found that DNA from two males was present and excluded DuBoise. His strength, courage, and determination for nearly four decades has made this day possible. For 37 years, weve had an innocent man locked up in prisonwhile the real perpetrator was never held accountable for this heinous crime. In 2007, Mr. DuBoise filed a motion to have DNA from his case tested, but the evidence admitted at his trial had been destroyed in 1990, and Mr. DuBoises motion was denied, prosecutors said. Robert Dubois in Florida. DuBoises lawsuit quotes a speech to a police chiefs in which Souviron said: If you tell me that is the guy that did it, I will go into court and say that is the guy that did it.. 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. Its been 37 years, said Hillsborough county state attorney Andrew Warren. Wrongful convictions deprive victims and their families of justice; they deserve the truthnot false closure based on a false story. Thank you for visiting us. After three years on death row, the Florida Supreme Court reversed Robert DuBoises death sentence and substituted it with life plus fifteen years. A Florida Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. Case Summary. I am just so grateful that my voice was heard and the truth is out there, said DuBoise. In 1988, the Florida Supreme Court changed the sentence to life in prison. They deserve the truth, not false closure based on a false story. Burke, former Sgt. Robert Dubois was wrongly convicted for a 1983 rape and murder. He has always maintained his innocence, but any hope of reversing his conviction seemed to evaporate in 1990 when the evidence from his trial was destroyed as part of a routine procedure. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/The Innocence Project) (September 14, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise was exonerated from all charges in the 1983 rape and murder of a young woman in Tampa, Florida. 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. Florida Death-row exoneree Robert DuBoise (pictured) is suing the City of Tampa, four Tampa police officers, and the forensic odontologist who falsely testified against him, alleging that they fabricated evidence that led to his wrongful conviction and death sentence. . The District Attorneys should be help liable for every case that they wrongfully convict. Robert Dubois in Miami, FL 12 results - Robert Dubois may also have lived outside of Miami, such as Saint Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and 2 other cities in Florida. 2018, the forensic odontologists testified that they could identify the source of a bite mark evidence and. 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