Robert S Dubois, 93. This case was filed in Osceola County Courts, Not Classified By Court located in Osceola, Florida. As part of the reinvestigation, Dr. Adam Freeman, a forensic odontologist, reviewed the bite mark and concluded the original "bite mark" evidence was not supported by modern science and the injury on the woman's cheek was not actually the result of a human bite. Thursday morning, the courtmoved to reduce DuBoises sentence to the exact amount of time he has already spent behind bars. After 37 years of being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, Robert DuBoise was expected to be released from prison on Thursday, according to a press release from Hillsborough State. I never lost faith that today would come. According to the lawsuit, investigators initially focused on DuBoise after an attendant at a gas station across the street from where Grams body was found told police that three boys named Robert, Bo and Ray had been causing trouble in the area. Based on junk-science bite-mark evidence and false testimony from a prison informant, Robert DuBoise (pictured with his mother, Myra, following his release) was convicted of raping and murdering 19-year-old Barbara Grams. Emailus. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: The CRU announced their collaboration with the Innocence Project to audit prior cases involving bite mark evidence. I can never regain the birthdays, holidays and precious time I lost with them, nevermind the life I could have made for myself. DuBoise was released after new DNA testing of the crime scene evidence that was thought to have been destroyed excluded him as the assailant. The Innocence Project urged the CRU to review the case based on concerns about the validity of forensic bite mark evidence and the heavy reliance on that evidence in this case. The Innocence Project is advocating for legislation to remove this provision. No one else has been arrested for her murder. In August of 2006, DuBoise filed a motion for postconviction DNA testing. Prosecutors in Hillsborough County, Fla., said Robert DuBoise, 55, had been wrongfully convicted. At his trial, in 1985, prosecutors said that Mr. DuBoise, his brother and a friend had been driving in Tampa when they saw Ms. Grams walking down the street, abducted her and raped and killed her. Robert Dubois in Florida. On 11/07/2006 STATE OF FLORIDA filed an Other - Other Criminal lawsuit against DUBOIS, ROBERT BRANDON. Its been 37 years, said Hillsborough county state attorney Andrew Warren. He was just 18 years old. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Kelly Hayes, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Andrew Wilson, Wes Wolfe, and Mike Wright. Marshall provided support for the claim by quoting several lines from a speech Souviron gave just before DuBoises trial. DuBoise was found guilty and initially sentenced to death, according to the documents. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. In March 1985, a jury convicted DuBoise of capital murder and attempted sexual battery. All Rights View Robert Dubois results in Fort Lauderdale, FL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Mr. Although DuBoise was the charged perpetrator, there was no other physical or circumstantial evidence connecting him to the attack. The expert who testified that it was Mr. DuBoises bite has since renounced similar evidence in other cases, Mr. Warren said. He may be eligible for substantial compensation: in February, the state of Florida approved a $2 million compensation claim for a man whod been in prison since 1976 for a murder he didnt commit. Florida State Attorney's Office, Floridas newly established Conviction Review Unit agreed to review DuBoises case in September 2019, according to a, For one thing,the injury on Gramscheek likely wasnt a bite mark at all and even if it was, bite marks are no longer considered reliable evidence in identifying suspects, according to new expert testimony referenced in. Supporters of DuBoise have requested $1.85m in compensation from the state legislature, but that bill has gone nowhere. In the early morning of August 19, 1983, a young womans body was found behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. On Wednesday, they moved to free him after he spent 37 years behind bars. A free man for the first time since he was a teenager, Mr. DuBoise must now put his life back together after almost 40 years in prison, the lawsuit says. Case Summary. DuBoise will be the 171st documented death-row exoneration in the U.S. since 1973. A few weeks later on September 14, 2020, the court vacated his wrongful convictions and the State dropped the charges against Robert DuBoise in a virtual hearing, exonerating him after 37 years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. After hugging his mother, he spoke to an assemblage of reporters and cameras. For now, though, DuBoise is just celebrating his newfound freedom. DuBoises lawsuit quotes a speech to a police chiefs in which Souviron said: If you tell me that is the guy that did it, I will go into court and say that is the guy that did it.. The DNA profile was entered into CODIS and matched to an individual who had no connection to DuBoise. Left; Robert and his mom, left, and his sister, right, on the day he was freed. The presence of DNA from two other people is indisputable scientific proof that he is innocent. DuBoise has been deprived of all the basic pleasures of human experience, which all free people enjoy as a matter of right., Have a tip we should know? The significant changes in the understanding of bite mark evidence have led the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) to revise its standards and guidelines to explicitly state that an ABFO Diplomate shall not express conclusions unconditionally linking a bite mark to a dentition. As a result, the forensic odontologists testimony in DuBoises case would no longer be admissible. Robert Dubois in Florida We found 56 records for Robert Dubois in Melbourne, North Miami Beach and 32 other cities in Florida. Twitter:@PeterSchorschFL After cooperating with law enforcement and providing a sworn statement in DuBoises case, he was offered a plea and sentenced to five years in prison. Wrongful convictions erode the foundation of our justice system. As a result, the judge denied his request to test the other biological evidence and agreed on the States theory that excluding Robert from the evidence would still not prove his innocence. To walk out of this nightmare and hug my mother and sister after almost four decades, knowing I was innocent is bittersweet. On Monday, a hearing before Hillsborough county judge Christopher Nash resulted in an order wiping away the convictions and life sentence, and removing DuBoise from the state sex offender registry. DuBoise appealed his case in 2006, hoping to prove his innocence with DNA evidence that couldn't be properly processed in the '80s,local station WTSP reports. Im so happy to see that the Innocence Project has been successful in freeing another innocent person and so happy that youre free, Robert, but also incredibly sad for all you have lost. In many wrongful convictions, such as DuBoises, these benefits provided in exchange for their testimony are never disclosed. I praise them for all they did. No other physical evidence linked DuBoise to the crime. DNA evidence proved his innocense in the rape and murder of Barbara Grams. By 2018, it was well known that bite mark evidence had led to wrongful convictions. All of the other physical evidence excluded DuBoise and there were no eyewitnesses that placed him near the crime scene. Robert Dubois in Miami, FL 12 results - Robert Dubois may also have lived outside of Miami, such as Saint Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and 2 other cities in Florida. Im comforted by knowing that weve provided the truth now to this community, and especially to the victims family who were given false closure based on a false story all these years.. There was no other evidence connecting DuBoise to the crime until he was transported to Hillsborough County Jail where a jailhouse informant falsely alleged that DuBoise made statements implicating himself in the crime. In fact, the victims injury was not a human bitemark at all, Daniel Marshall, an attorney for the Human Rights Defense Center, wrote in the lawsuit. The promise or expectation of receiving leniency or other benefits for their testimony creates a strong incentive for these witnesses to lie. Florida Death-row exoneree Robert DuBoise (pictured) is suing the City of Tampa, four Tampa police officers, and the forensic odontologist who falsely testified against him, alleging that they fabricated evidence that led to his wrongful conviction and death sentence. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Far right Republicans wanted him executed years ago. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Florida had recently launched its Conviction Review Unit (CRU) and planned to review cases of possible wrongful conviction from the jurisdiction. The family of the victim deserves to have the truth, as painful as it may be. Judge Christopher. Photo of Robert DuBois hugging his mother by Martha Asencio-Rhine, Tampa BayTimes. After a 2008 hearing, a judge concluded that even if the evidence was suitable for testing, it would not exonerate DuBoise because the states theory was that two other individuals participated in the crime. That was six months before Grams was killed. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Anyone can read what you share. Its been amazing. provided cannot be used for any unlawful purpose. In fact, the original prosecutions case rested rested primarily on two pieces of evidence:the testimony of a fellow inmate, and a woundon the woman's cheek that a dental expert identified as a bite mark from DuBoise's teeth, according to. Dan Sullivan, After 37years, hes free. Then, last September, the Innocence Project asked Mr. Warrens office, which had created a Conviction Review Unit in 2018, to examine Mr. DuBoises case. In the federal lawsuit filed this week, DuBoises attorneys name as defendants the city of Tampa, four police investigators and a forensic dentist who testified a bite mark on Grams cheek was from DuBoise based on a faulty beeswax mold. The American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) has revised its standards and guidelines, and now explicitly states that an ABFO Diplomate shall not express conclusions unconditionally linking a bite mark to a dentition.. The Medical Examiner also identified what was thought to be a human bite-mark on the victims cheek. That will occur when the charges against him are formally dismissed. The family of the victim deserves to have the truth, and this new evidence helps reveal the truth for all of us., Mr. Warren said he had apologized to Mr. DuBoise on behalf of the entire criminal justice system., The only person who benefits from wrongful conviction is the actual perpetrator, Mr. Warren said. The Conviction Review Unit will continue to work with the court to finish exonerating DuBoise,Hall said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/The Innocence Project) (September 14, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise was exonerated from all charges in the 1983 rape and murder of a young woman in Tampa, Florida. Im just very grateful to all of you.. It wont be easy. The CRUs audit is the first systematic review of bite mark cases that has been initiated by a prosecutors office. Investigators have two new persons of interest in the case. (Image: Casey Brooke Lawson/AP Images for The Innocence Project). Robert DuBoise hugging his mother Myra DuBoise following his release from prison after 37 years on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020 in Bowling Green, Florida. Robert Duboise served 37 years in Florida State Prison for the death of Barbara Grams, a 19-year-old Tampa woman police found beaten to death behind a dental practice in 1983. In 2019, the Innocence Project reached out to the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) at the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Tampa to begin a joint re-investigation based on new evidence on the jailhouse informant and concerns about the discredited bite mark evidence. Have a tip or story idea? Born in Manchester, NH on November 18, 1952, Robert was a son of the late Robert and Irene (Delisle) Dubois. Join to connect PR. In fact, the original prosecutions case rested rested primarily on two pieces of evidence:the testimony of a fellow inmate, and a woundon the woman's cheek that a dental expert identified as a bite mark from DuBoise's teeth, according to court documentsobtained by Oxygen.com. Robert DuBoise, 56, was just 18 years old when he was wrongfully imprisoned for the death of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa, Florida. Lived In . (September 14, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise was exonerated from all charges in the 1983 rape and murder of a young woman in Tampa, Florida. Warren said that his office was preparing court papers to complete the exoneration process. To date, at least 33 known wrongful convictions and indictments stem from bite mark evidence, and the misapplication of forensic science was involved in 45 percent of DNA exoneration cases. He was released on . When investigators began to identify suspects, they also came across a local resident who referred to Robert DuBoise as someone who caused problems at a hangout place in the area. As a result, the defense cannot raise concerns about the jailhouse informants motivations and reliability to the judge and jury. In a speech he gave to a police chiefs meeting before the DuBoise case, the lawsuit quotes Souviron as saying if you tell me that is the guy that did it, I will go into court and say that is the guy that did it., The lawsuit claims beeswax was not an accepted method of identifying teeth marks in murder cases and was used only because another officer in the Tampa Police Department operated a honey business on the side.. These people do not work for the Innocence Project of Florida. The dentist was Dr. Richard Souviron, who gained notoriety as an expert after testifying in the murder trial of serial killer Ted Bundy that one of his Florida victims had a bite mark that matched his teeth. Now the world knows DNA proves I did not commit this crime. A Florida man exonerated of a 1983 rape and murder after serving 37 years in prison is suing over his wrongful conviction in which a disproven bite mark was crucial evidence. Robert Dubois in Florida. It was DuBoises trial prosecutor who filed a Motion to Mitigate the jailhouse informants sentence citing his total cooperation with the State in DuBoises trial. From a human point of view, of course, I feel terrible, Souviron reportedly said, adding: I played a part in his conviction. Email: [emailprotected] The DNA profile was entered into CODIS and matched to an individual who had no connection to DuBoise. Report this profile . He may be eligible for substantial compensation: in February, the state of Florida approved a $2 million compensation claim for a man whod been in prison since 1976 for a murder he didnt commit, CBS News reports. [emailprotected]. Experience 17 projects New Constructions (August 27, 2020 Tampa, Florida) Today, Robert DuBoise walked free after spending almost 37 years in prison for a 1983 rape and murder in Tampa, Florida, he did not commit. Resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He concluded that the original bite mark conclusions are unsupported by science and, most critically, found that although two experts at trial concluded that the pattern injury was a bite mark, the injury in this case was in fact not a bite mark. To prove their case, prosecutors presented testimony from a local dentist who concluded that an injury on Ms. Gramss cheek was a bite mark, as well as testimony from a dental expert who said that Mr. DuBoise had inflicted the bite. They punish the innocent while allowing the actual perpetrator to go free. The first thing he wanted to do was hug his mom. Good Luck Mr. DuBoise have a blessed life and enjoy every moment to the fullest. Find Robert Dubois's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. The lawsuit claims beeswax was not an accepted method of identifying teeth marks in murder cases and was used only because another officer in the Tampa police department operated a honey business on the side. I am grateful to the Conviction Review Unit for their partnership on this case and look forward to collaborating on re-examining other bite mark cases to identify other wrongful convictions that resulted from the use of this highly unreliable evidence. said Susan Friedman, DuBoises Innocence Project attorney. We provide personal details related to Robert Dubois in Florida(FL). Im not sure it can get any worse other than all the men that came before him and were executed. My small donations dont seem much but together we can all make a difference! Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Refine Your Search Results. Robert DuBoise following his exoneration after 37 years on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. He has always maintained his innocence, but any hope of reversing his conviction seemed to evaporate in 1990 when the evidence from his trial was destroyed as part of a routine procedure. Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. Chris Bumbaca. The informant denied obtaining any benefit in exchange for his testimony against DuBoise, but did admit that he considered one of the detectives to be a real good friend. Although the informant was potentially facing a life sentence for his other charges, he was given a plea deal with a sentence of five years. A review by the unit and the Innocence Project found that the injury on Ms. Gramss cheek was not a bite mark and that the jailhouse informant who testified against Mr. DuBoise was not credible, prosecutors said. After 37 years in prison for wrongful conviction, Robert DuBoise completes path to freedom at Buccaneers-Rams game. . All original evidence was thought to have been destroyed, as was noted by the court at an earlier time Soon after this discovery, DNA testing on the remaining evidence revealed positive identification of male DNA from the perpetrator and excluded Robert DuBoise as a contributor. They have also lived in Indialantic, FL and Fort Myers, FL. 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