SUMMARY OF MY INNOCENCE
The circumstances surrounding my case began on Dec. 8, 1990. A guy who I knew of but was not a close friend to asked if I would drop him off at a night club called Who's on First. It was located on 1st & Greenfield. Prior to dropping the guy off, I allowed him to sit in my vehicle while I was using the rest-room at a neighborhood bar.
After dropping the guy off, I headed south on 1st street in order to get to Interstate 43 from Mitchell Avenue, to home on Capitol Drive. It is now after 12:15am, on Dec. 9, 1990. According to the arresting officers, I was driving the speed limit heading south on 1st street and Orchard, where the police was waiting at a stop light facing east. One officer claimed that as I passed their vehicle, he noticed that I looked like a composite sketch (composite) of a suspect wanted in a series of sexual assaults. The police admitted that I did not look in their direction so their observation of me was from a side view. However, the composite was limited wholly to the frontal view of the suspect from the neck up to the suspects hair. Mind you I was also wearing a baseball cap atop a large afro hairstyle. Before the actual stop of my vehicle, the police went on to claim that I was following another vehicle allegedly occupied by a single white female. This police claimed he pointed this out to his partner. Note: The police did not have copy of the composite with them or in their vehicle at the time of stopping or observing me.
The police further stated that as I was heading south, they turned their vehicle south and began to follow me about three car lengths behind. He stated he observed me look into the rear-view mirror and observe their police vehicle. According to the police, I then made a right-hand turn from the far left-hand lane on to Mitchell Street. These things did not occur as described by police. Subsequently, I was stopped between 3rd & 4th and Mitchell. Additional police were called to the scene of the stop and after their arrival, I was order out of my vehicle. My vehicle was searched and a gun was found underneath the driver seat. I did not know the gun was there (even though I recall something hitting my heel), nor was my fingerprints found on the gun. After finding the gun, I was placed under arrest.
Later that day I was placed in numerous line-ups by police in hopes that one or more victims would identify me as their assailant. No victim had picked me as their assailant and to this date, I am still very thankful. At this point I'm charged only with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of cocaine, less than $10.00 worth. However, on Dec. 12, 1990, police obtained a search warrant and took from me one large vial of blood, a large saliva soaked gauge pad and head and pubic hairs. It is at this point that I became aware that the gun found in my vehicle was taken a victim after her assault. After an unsuccessful attempt to suppress the gun and my inability to locate the guy who left the gun in my vehicle, I pled guilty (Alford plea) to carrying a concealed weapon and possession of cocaine. I was sentence to concurrent 3 year terms but consecutive to revocation of parole.
While serving sentence at Racine Correctional Inst. (RCI), a judge in Racine County issued another search warrant for additional blood in Sept. of 1993. Apparently, Milwaukee police believed there was some similarities between the suspect and an assault against a victim in Racine County. However, I was never charged with any crime from Racine County and believe that was a ploy to further the illegal activity of Milwaukee police.
Eventually, I was charged with numerous counts of sexual assaults and robberies in January of 1995, based wholly on false DNA results. I was convicted of all counts in June of 1995.
I was falsely convicted of these crimes and urgently seek legal help in my efforts to prove my innocence.
Please Keep The Following Facts In Mind
1 . The victims clothing or other materials found in the victims vehicles was transported to Milwaukee Regional Crime Lab long before my arrest on Dec. 9, 1 990.
2. The initial blood sample, saliva sample, head and pubic hairs which was obtained from me on Dec. 12, 1990, per order of search warrant, was transported by police to the crime lab on Dec. 18, 1990.
3. All cuttings of victims clothing or other material by Milwaukee Crime Lab Serologists, was sent to FBI Lab via Federal Express in May of 1993.
4. There was never any accounting of my saliva sample after it was delivered to Milwaukee Crime Lab on Dec. 18, 1990.
5. My trial attorney had no prior trial experience using DNA evidence. He never sought to have any crime scene evidence re-tested. He never filed any pre-trial motions to suppress DNA results. And he too never made any attempts to determine the whereabouts of my saliva sample.
End Of Summary
Note: Let me make it clear that I truly believe that police or crime lab analyst planted my saliva sample upon the crime scene evidence. God as my witness, I did not commit these crimes. I am in possession of all pretrial and trial transcripts, FBI reports summarizing their DNA results, and some police reports.
Steven Grant #75160
Waupun Correctional Institution
Box 351; Waupun, Wi 53963
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