Glen Edward Chapman, a North Carolina man who was sen­tenced to death for the 1992 mur­ders of Betty Jean Ramseur and Tenene Yvette Conley, was released from death row on April 2 after pros­e­cu­tors dropped all charges against him. In 2007, North Carolina Superior Court Judge Robert C. Ervin grant­ed Chapman a new tri­al, cit­ing with­held evi­dence, ​“lost, mis­placed or destroyed” doc­u­ments, the use of weak, cir­cum­stan­tial evi­dence, false tes­ti­mo­ny by the lead inves­ti­ga­tor, and inef­fec­tive assis­tance of defense coun­sel. There was also new infor­ma­tion from a foren­sic pathol­o­gist that raised doubts as to whether Conley’s death was a homi­cide or caused by an over­dose of drugs.

Chapman’s lawyers, Frank Goldsmith and Jessica Leaven, were pleased with their client’s release. ​“Edward has always main­tained, and we have always believed in, his inno­cence,” said Goldsmith. ​“Justice has not been served for the fam­i­lies of Ms. Ramseur and Ms. Conley, and we hope their deaths will be rein­ves­ti­gat­ed.” The state has also called for a re-open­ing of the inves­ti­ga­tion.

Judge Ervin found fault with Chapman’s defense attor­neys at the orig­i­nal tri­al in 1994, one of whom has been dis­ci­plined by the North Carolina State Bar. The oth­er defense attor­ney, Thomas Portwood, admit­ted drink­ing 12 shots of alco­hol per day dur­ing a dif­fer­ent death penal­ty tri­al. The defen­dant in that case, Ronald Frye, was exe­cut­ed in 2001.
(“Death Row Inmate Freed After 15 Years,” WRAL​.com, April 2, 2008; also Press Release from attor­neys Goldsmith and Leaven, April 2, 2008). View Press Conference after Chapman’s Release (select ​“video”). See Innocence. Glen Chapman is the 128th per­son to be exon­er­at­ed and freed from death row since death sen­tences resumed in 1973. He is the 7th inmate freed from North Carolina and the 2d in four months.

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