The Case
Coleman was convicted of raping and murdering McCoy in 1982.
The prosecution for the case, led by Commonwealth Attorney Michael McGlothlin, asserted:
- The lack of forced entry showed McCoy knew her attacker
- Coleman had been previously convicted of attempted rape
- A hair found on McCoy's body was similar to Coleman's
- Blood found on Coleman's clothes was McCoy's blood type
- A fellow prisoner maintained that Coleman had privately confessed the crime to him
Coleman's defense maintained:
- There was indeed evidence of forced entry (the pry mark on the door)
- DNA tests of the semen found on the victim's body implicated more than one person
- The prosecution claimed there was no struggle, but the victim had cuts, a bruise in her arm, and broken fingernails
- Coleman had a documented alibi and several witnesses who gave affidavits
Read more about this topic: Roger Keith Coleman
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