News Summary

PART I

Remembering June 7, 1998 Video

Murder, then rush to judgment — In the eyes of prosecutors, everything pointed to Clarence Elkins as the man who killed and raped his mother-in-law, Judy Johnson, and raped his 6-year-old niece. Even the niece said, "Uncle Clarence killed Grandma." But in the rush to judgment, the legal system missed the most important fact of all: He didn't do it.

PART II

Stand by your man? Video

Traumatized child hid her doubts — Sitting on the witness stand, her feet not touching the floor, the girl answers innocuous questions from the prosecutor. Doherty's questions gradually move to Grandma Judy and the noise that woke the girl from her slumber that fateful night. She can barely manage more than two- or three-word answers. "Who did you see in the kitchen?" Doherty asks. "Clarence," the child answers. Video: "Guilty"

PART III

"Beer glasses and cigarette butts" Video

'My God, this thing is horrifying' — For three years April Sutton was convinced that the man who murdered her mother and raped her daughter was a member of her family. For three years April was convinced the murderer was her sister's husband, Clarence Elkins. Then someone changed her mind: her daughter Brooke. Videos: Tonia Brasiel & Earl Mann | What is BCI?

PART IV

Did the system work? Video

Putting up a united front — "Are you ready to come home?" Melinda Elkins asks her husband Clarence. "I've been ready," he tells her. The media portray it as a love story: Melinda stood by her man and they are walking off into the sunset together, holding hands. But as Clarence and Melinda approach their silver wedding anniversary, there is no sunset and no holding hands.
Video: Freedom, Dec. 15, 2005
Video: "One thing everyone misses"

DID YOU KNOW?

An inside look

Find out how DNA testing works and see how far it's come.

• DNA tests that previously took months now done in days
• Take a look at the BCI lab

ABOUT THIS STORY

Reporters Laura A. Bischoff and Mary McCarty spent seven months on Innocence Betrayed. They conducted extensive interviews with members of the Elkins family, police, prosecutors, attorneys, investigators and officials in the Ohio Attorney General's office. In addition, they examined thousands of pages of court records, including the trial transcript, police reports, crime scene photos, witness statements, bankruptcy records, appeals briefs and other documents.

Innocence Betrayed is a story of a grievous miscarriage of justice and one woman's fight to set it right. Without the cooperation from her, and virtually all others involved, it would not be possible.

• More about this series

KEY PEOPLE

Find information and photos for the key figures mentioned in this series.

CRIME SCENE

See a map showing the locations of key places in this story.

Click to enlarge map

IN VIDEO

For each part of this story there will be accompanying videos. See all the videos below. Or catch up if you've missed anything.

• Remembering June 7, 1998

• Stand by your man?
• "Guilty"

• "Beer glasses and cigarette butts"
• Tonia Brasiel
• Earl Mann

• Did the system work?
• Freedom, Dec. 15, 2005
• "One thing everyone misses"

RELATED PHOTOS

• See photos from this series Updated daily

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