DNA Testing Proved My Innocence of My Son’s Murder – Innocence Project

As we celebrate World DNA Day, I am living proof of DNAs profound impact on our criminal legal system.

My name is Michelle Murphy. I am one of 15 women exonerated in the United States with the help of post-conviction DNA testing and I am the first and only woman in Oklahoma to be exonerated by DNA testing.

In 1994, at just 17, I was a single mother of two, navigating a challenging world, dreaming of a better future for my children and myself. But my life took a tragic turn when my infant son was murdered, a crime for which I was wrongly accused of committing. My coerced confession during a distressing police interrogation was used to convict me, and I was sentenced to life without parole. Falsely confessing to a crime I did not commit is not a unique phenomenon, and one of the leading causes of wrongful conviction.

It was clear that DNA evidence, crucial in my case due to the presence of blood at the crime scene, would be pivotal. Although lab tests conducted by the prosecution proved my DNA wasnt present at the crime scene, this crucial information was kept from my defense team. However, during the trial, the prosecution misleadingly suggested to the jury that the blood from the scene was mine, using this to claim I was guilty.

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DNA Testing Proved My Innocence of My Son's Murder - Innocence Project