I’m reaching out to provide an update on Dennis Salerno’s case and to ask for your help once again.

As you may know, the previous commutation request was denied in October 2025. While that was a setback, we are preparing a new petition because significant new information has come to light that deeply undermines the integrity of his 2002 Ingham County conviction.

Why We Are Refiling
Since the last request, we have documented what can only be described as a "legacy of disgrace" regarding nearly every primary official involved in Dennis's trial:

Prosecutorial Misconduct: The lead prosecutor, Stuart Dunnings III, was later imprisoned for misconduct in office and sexual exploitation.
 

Judicial Errors: The presiding judge, Peter Houk, has been linked to a pro-prosecution culture and documented catastrophic errors in other murder cases.
 

Discredited Experts: The state's primary scientific witness, Dr. Thomas Vogel, was stripped of his emeritus status following sexual misconduct investigations.
 

Investigative Scrutiny: The lead detectives, Dave Vincent and Rick Torres, were the subjects of scrutiny that eventually led to the creation of a police oversight commission to address systemic abuses.
Further, the forensic soil analysis used to convict Dennis—which was the cornerstone of the prosecution's case—is now recognized as scientifically unreliable under modern National Academy of Sciences standards.

The Request
Would you be willing to write a renewed letter of support for this new petition? We are asking the next Michigan Governor to commute his Life Without Parole sentence to a term of years.

Dennis has now served 26 years. During that time, he has earned two Associate Degrees, become a published author, and served as a mentor to others. He is a completely different man than he was two decades ago.

As I’ve said before, Life Without Parole is "death by time." We are just trying to ensure the ends of justice are finally served.

Thank you for your continued support,