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July 27, 2010

Dechaine does deserve a new trial, at least

"Did Dennis Dechaine kill Sarah Cherry?" was the headline in the July 4 Morning Sentinel. It referred to a more than 22-year-old case in which a man was convicted of a crime for which he has always maintained his innocence.

Upon reading it, I was reminded of an interview I conducted three years ago for an access TV show I was producing. I interviewed retired federal agent James P. Moore and several people who had studied transcripts of the trial. At the end of the interview, I was convinced Dechaine at least deserved a new trial.

Moore drew an actual police investigative time line. This time line showed Dechaine to be in a lengthy police custody. Forensics by experts determined that Sarah Cherry died in the middle of that custody. It was even determined that there was a scuffle in the woods, 'in the same spot where Sarah Cherry's body was found.' At the time, the detective holding Dechaine refused to let police dogs investigate the scene. Had that search been allowed, the real killer might have been apprehended, and Cherry might still be alive.

Another troublesome fact was that one of the detectives changed the wording of his original notes. The new version implied guilt, while the original notes implied innocence. During the trial, another of the detectives actually testified in conflict with his own crime- scene notes. Again, the court version implied guilt, whereas the original notes implied innocence.

The position of Dechaine's truck also bothered me. According to the detective's version, Dechaine abducted Cherry, drove her to a location, killed her, walked way past his truck and exited the woods.

Why didn't he just get in his truck and leave?

 

Peter P. Sirois

Madison

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