Following on the heels of Innocence Project founding board member Jason Flom’s podcast about former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw’s wrongful conviction, famed exoneree and journalist Amanda Knox has released a report with Christopher Robinson about Daniel’s case, including an interview with his sister Jenny Holtzclaw. 

You can listen to Amanda Knox and Jenny Holtzclaw discussing Daniel’s case on The Crime Story Podcast with Kary Antholis here:

https://crimestory.com/2020/05/04/amanda-knox-how-could-he-be-innocent-the-case-of-daniel-holtzclaw/

Amanda Knox was convicted in Italy in 2007 of murdering an exchange student who roomed with her, then acquitted (along with her former boyfriend) four years later. Renowned forensic expert Dr. Peter Gill concluded that weak DNA evidence used by the prosecution was either the result of crime-scene contamination by investigators or innocent touch DNA on common areas in the house that Knox, her ex-boyfriend, and the murder victim all shared.

Dr. Gill also co-authored the expert report about Daniel Holtzclaw’s case, analyzing errors in the forensic science and testimony used to convict Daniel, and calling for his conviction to be overturned.

Knox and Jenny Holtzclaw reviewed the biased investigation, faulty accuser identification, faulty analysis of DNA found on the fly of Daniel’s pants, and “clumping together of 13 victims’ testimonies which presented numerous flaws and discrepancies,” as Knox described it in her report. She writes: “One has to wonder: was the most damning evidence not the evidence at all, but simply the sheer number of accusers?” 

Jenny Holtzclaw explained that Daniel is fighting an uphill battle for his freedom because the #MeToo movement, the news headlines about a white officer allegedly raping black women, and distrust of law enforcement encouraged people to presume Daniel was guilty without looking at the facts of his case.  People have ascribed guilt based simply on the number of accusers even though most of the allegations were solicited by Oklahoma City police officers, who falsely told women they received “tips” that they had been sexually assaulted by a cop.

Knox concluded: 

“As tempting as it is to want to put a face to massive social problems like police brutality and sexual assault, particularly against vulnerable populations, we should be consistent in standing up against the urge to rush to judgement and bring down the hammer of the law on a potentially unsound conviction, even when the stereotype of victim and perpetrator may be reversed.

“[T]he evidence that convicted [Daniel Holtzclaw] is arguably insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and if we throw that standard out the window here, it will only harm those countless others, most often black and brown men, who are sent to prison through the testimonies of incentivized informants and unreliable witnesses, without robust forensic evidence, and through prosecutorial tunnel vision that leads investigators to look only for evidence that confirms their initial theories to the detriment of the truth.”

We thank Ms. Knox for shedding new light on Daniel’s case and using her powerful voice to sound the alarm against rushes to judgment by prosecutors, police, and the media. 

Daniel is an innocent man who was wrongly convicted based on fatally flawed forensic evidence, a biased and incompetent police investigation, and prosecutorial misconduct. He continues to pursue post-conviction relief in the courts. His family and supporters continue to educate the public about the factors leading to wrongful convictions--and to push Oklahoma public officials, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, to adopt criminal justice and crime lab reform measures to prevent more innocent Oklahomans from unjust and unconstitutional imprisonment. 

“We will not rest until Daniel is free,” Jenny Holtzclaw said, “and until those responsible for railroading the innocent are held accountable.”