MEDIA, Pa. — A significant legal victory has unfolded at the Delaware County Courthouse, where a judge has overturned the life sentences of three men convicted in a 1997 murder case, citing new DNA evidence that points to their innocence. The case, deeply rooted in the community of Media, Pennsylvania, revisits the tragic death of 70-year-old Henrietta Nickens, who was brutally killed in her home.
The convictions of Derrick Chappell, 41, Morton Johnson, 44, and Samuel Grasty, 47, were vacated following a lengthy legal battle spearheaded by local attorneys John Lyons and David Haase in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. New testing revealed that DNA samples from the crime scene did not match any of the men, prompting a reevaluation of their decades-long imprisonment.
Lyons, a native of the Philadelphia suburbs and a lawyer at Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP’s New York office, began representing Chappell pro bono in 2016. He was later joined by Haase, who started at the firm’s Philadelphia branch in 2019. Both attorneys brought extensive experience in handling complex scientific evidence, which proved crucial in challenging the initial findings of the case.
Court records from the trial show that Nickens was found beaten to death in October 1997. The swift arrest and subsequent conviction of Chappell, Johnson, and Grasty hinged on accounts that included testimony from an alleged accomplice, Richard McElwee, who claimed he acted as a lookout during the crime.
Over the years, Lyons and Haase meticulously revisited the evidence, uncovering inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. The original charges also included sexual assault, but this was dropped when DNA testing failed to link the defendants to biological materials found at the scene.
Leveraging modern DNA technology, the defense team was able to present new findings in their motion for post-conviction relief filed in June 2022. They argued that none of the DNA collected from a jacket and bedsheets at Nickens’ home matched the accused. Lyons emphasized how unlikely it was that three individuals accused of such a violent crime left no physical trace at the scene.
The reexamination not only challenged the physical evidence but also scrutinized the reliability of testimony that had initially been crucial to the convictions. Haase noted the importance of their background in civil litigation allowed them to effectively communicate complex scientific information that ultimately swayed the judge’s decision.
As a result of the new evidence and legal advocacy, the judge ruled to overturn the convictions on March 28. The Delaware County district attorney now has the option to appeal the decision or retry the case. With a bail hearing scheduled for May 18, the legal team remains hopeful for their clients’ release while they continue to challenge the prosecution’s stance.
The outcome of this case highlights ongoing concerns about the reliability of forensic evidence and the potential for wrongful convictions. It also underscores the evolving nature of DNA analysis technology, which has become a pivotal factor in revisiting old convictions.
As the case progresses, the implications of the judge’s decision could extend beyond the lives of Chappell, Johnson, and Grasty, offering a critical examination of the justice system’s ability to rectify past errors. This decision not only offers a potential new beginning for the three men but also raises important questions about other cases where outdated or inadequate forensic technologies may have influenced verdicts.