In another faulty fire science case, on July 2nd, Victor Caminata was released from prison after spending four years behind bars for a wrongful arson conviction. In 2009, Caminata was convicted of arson and sentenced to nine to 40 years in prison due to a March 2008 incident in which Caminata and his then girlfriend’s home was destroyed in a fire. Although fire investigators initially determined that the fire was accidental and caused by a chimney, further investigation led experts to believe the fire was arson. Caminata was convicted after his former girlfriend testified against him.
Dave Moran, director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, along with a team of attorneys represented Caminata with hopes to exonerate him based on overwhelming evidence of innocence. Judge William Fagerman was presented newly discovered evidence that affirmed the cause of the fire to be unknown. Based on the presentation of new evidence, Judge Fagerman ruled to vacate Caminata’s conviction and ordered him to be released.
“Nothing can make up for that lost time,” Caminata said. “All I can do is look to the future.”
Read the full story here.
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