His sentence was reduced in 1988 to life in prison until his exoneration and release last year. St. Petersburg, Florida 33704. Susan Friedman, the Innocence Project lawyer representing DuBoise, said he maintained his innocence on Death Row and often in solitary confinement in six Florida prisons. DuBoise maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison. Florida is the only state that disqualifies exonerees from being compensated if they were convicted of unrelated crimes. 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. To walk out of this nightmare and hug my mother and sister after almost four decades, knowing I was innocent is bittersweet. Robert DuBoise was convicted at a trial that relied on a testimony from an unreliable jailhouse informant and faulty bite-mark analysis. 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 Judge overseeing this case is DRAPER, CAROL E. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In 2018, the Innocence Project began to review DuBoises case. However, evidence on the case was presumed destroyedin 1990, apparently aspart of a routine process, Grayson Kamm, communications officer for the Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit, said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. The Crime On August 19, 1983, a young woman's body was found behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. Detectives sought out the opinion of a second odontologist, Dr. Richard Souviron, who advised police to start collecting bite mark impressions from potential suspects. In 2020, despite previous assurances that all the biological evidence from the rape kit was destroyed, slides from the victims autopsy were also found at the office of the Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County. A Florida man who was wrongfully convicted of raping and murdering a woman walked free Thursday after 37 years behind bars. 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. Indiana and Missouri permit a judge to determine the sentence if jurors cannot reach a unanimous sentencing verdict. The first thing he wanted to do was hug his mom. Robert. DNA evidence proved Robert DuBoise, who was released from prison last month, did not commit 1983 crime. DuBoise is represented by the Innocence Project, who worked collaboratively with the Conviction Review Unit at the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Tampa. Through observation and autopsy, authorities concluded the woman was raped and beaten to death. The informant was facing multiple life sentences for kidnapping, armed robbery and battery of a law enforcement officer. The states theory at trial was that DuBoise, his brother Victor DuBoise and friend Raymond Garcia sexually assaulted and killed the victim, though only DuBoise was arrested and prosecuted for these crimes. There are really true-hearted people in these offices now, he said. Theres no question I feel terrible, he said. 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. On Sept. 10, 2020, the Innocence Project filed a Motion for Post-Conviction Relief and Vacate Judgment and Sentence based on newly discovered evidence. 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In March 1985, a jury convicted DuBoise of capital murder and attempted sexual battery. Photo: 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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.. DuBoise was released from prison on Aug. 27 after new DNA testing on evidence from the victims rape kit that was thought to have been destroyed, excluded him as the assailant and identified another individual. The DNA profile was entered into CODIS and matched to an individual who had no connection to DuBoise. Although the jailhouse informant claimed to not have been given anything in exchange for his cooperation, he did receive a plea deal that reduced his potential life sentence to five years. 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. Judge Christopher. Robert DuBoise, 56, was freed in August last year after long-shelved untested DNA evidence from a rape kit proved he was innocent of the rape and murder of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa . No one else has been arrested for her murder. After three years on death row, the Florida Supreme Court reversed Robert DuBoises death sentence and substituted it with life plus fifteen years. According to the lawsuit, investigators initially focused on him after an attendant at a gas station across the street from where Grams was found told police three boys named Robert, Bo and Ray had been causing trouble. DuBoise was found guilty and initially sentenced to death, according to the documents. Although DuBoise was the charged perpetrator, there was no other physical or circumstantial evidence connecting him to the attack. Dr. Souviron concluded that it was a match and detectives immediately arrested DuBoise who, at the time, was only 18 years old. At the hearing on Monday, expert testimony showed that bite-mark evidence on the victims left cheek used at trial has been determined to be unreliable police used beeswax to take an impression of DuBoises teeth and that DNA showed conclusively he was not a suspect in the assault of Grams. 6 Wrongful Convictions That Were Overturned. 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. It had instead been held in storage at the local medical examiners office, according to the case timeline. 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.. Robert Michael Dubois, 45. Convicted of murder and sentenced to death, his sentence was reduced in 1988 to life in prison until his exoneration and release last year. Souviron, whose practice is in Coral Gables, did not immediately return a telephone message Saturday seeking comment. I am grateful to be here, now with a chance to move forward, but I know there are more innocent people like me still behind bars, said DuBoise. That will occur when the charges against him are formally dismissed. Robert E Dubois has a BuildZoom score of 90, which places them above 47% of 191,428 contractors in Florida. At a 2008 hearing, the Court Clerk testified that all the evidence admitted at DuBoises trial, which included the victims rape kit, were destroyed in 1990, just five years after his conviction. In the decades since, however, forensic experts have largely abandoned using bitemarks to identify suspects. The promise or expectation of receiving leniency or other benefits for their testimony creates a strong incentive for these witnesses to lie. 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. Its been 37 years, said Hillsborough county state attorney Andrew Warren. Were righting this wrong today, finally.. That was six months before Grams was killed. Experience 17 projects New Constructions He was released on . Select this result to view Robert G Dubois's phone number, address, and more. On October 22, the police brought DuBoise in at 2:00 a.m. and questioned him for about one hour. A Florida Robert Ray Dubois, 73 Resides in Davenport, FL Lived In Kissimmee FL, Sevierville TN, Pigeon Forge TN, Bradford OH Related To William Dubois, Connie Dubois, Evelyn Dubois, Lisa Dubois, Diane Dubois Also known as Robert R Du Bois Includes Address (9) Phone (10) Email (2) See Results Robert Duane Dubois, 47 Resides in Daytona Beach, FL Lack of finances leads to lack of proper representation as we all know. 2023 Innocence Project. The Conviction Review Unit will continue to work with the court to finish exonerating DuBoise,Hall said in a phone interview with Oxygen.com. Robert has spent decades determined to show that he was wrongfully convicted, and we are eager to see him fully exonerated, said Susan Friedman, DuBoises Innocence Project attorney. The only physical evidence implicating Mr. DuBoise was fabricated bite mark evidence that supposedly matched Mr. DuBoise to an injury on the victims body. Phone: (727) 642-3162 DuBoise never confessed and maintained his innocence throughout, his lawyers said. Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL. The brother and friend were never charged because there was no other evidence against them, prosecutors said. 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. DuBoise appealed his case in 2006, hoping to prove his innocence with DNA evidence that couldn't be properly processed in the '80s. Under Floridas current compensation law, DuBoise is not eligible to receive any compensation for the 37 years he was in prison because, when he was a teenager, he was previously convicted of minor offenses related to the possession of a stolen bike, and entering a vacant home that was unlocked. One of them who was a major contributor of DNA on the samples meaning more of his genetic material was present is now considered a person of interest in the killing of Ms. Grams, who was found raped and beaten to death behind a Tampa dental office in 1983. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. Mr. DuBoise was arrested in connection with Ms. Gramss killing when he was 18. The judge denied DuBoises request to test the other biological evidence, finding that because the States theory was that DuBoise committed this crime with others, excluding him from the evidence would not be sufficient to prove his innocence. Burke, former Sgt. Pennsylvania man who wrongly spent 23 years on death row is freed, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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The basis for the claims are deprivation of due process, illegal detention and prosecution, and conspiracy to deprive constitutional rights, among other things. The testimony of DuBoises fellow inmate was also called into doubt. As a result, the defense cannot raise concerns about the jailhouse informants motivations and reliability to the judge and jury. (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. 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. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Robert A. Dubois of Port Charlotte, Florida, who passed away on June 6, 2022, at the age of 80, leaving to mourn family and friends. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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.. Robert Dubois in Fort Lauderdale, FL 13 results - Robert Dubois may also have lived outside of Fort Lauderdale, such as Fort Walton Beach, Hollywood and 2 other cities in Florida. Robert Dubois in Florida. Twitter:@PeterSchorschFL I have been waiting for this day for nearly 37 years. DNA testing was conducted this summer and found that DNA from two males was present and excluded DuBoise. 950 Southlakes Way SW Vero Beach, FL 32968, 1827 Thornhill Rd Wesley Chapel, FL 33544, 565 Deer Creek Run Deerfield Bch, FL 33442, Robert N Dubois, Robert N Dubois, Robert L Dubois, Robert L Dubois, Robert Dubois, Robert Dubois, Robert R Dubois, Robert R Dubois, Robert E Dubois, Robert E Dubois, Robert A Dubois, Robert A Dubois, Robert W Dubois, Robert W Dubois, Robert C Dubois, Robert C Dubois, Robert S Dubois, Robert S Dubois, Robert V Dubois, Robert V Dubois, Robert D Dubois, Robert D Dubois, Robert M Dubois, Robert M Dubois. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law & crime in 1988 to life in prison until his exoneration release... Males was present and excluded DuBoise his lawyers said man who was released from prison last month, did commit. After three years on death row, the police brought DuBoise in at 2:00 a.m. and questioned him for one! 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