This Man Is on Death Row for Killing a 6-Month-Old. But What If We're Wrong About Shaken Baby Syndrome?
"A controversial medical examiner, exaggerated testimony, and bad forensics branded Jeffrey Havard a rapist and a baby killer.
Jeffrey Havard's story began the evening of February 21, 2002, when the Mississippi man was keeping an eye on Chloe, the 6-month-old daughter of his girlfriend, Rebecca Britt. According to Havard, Chloe had spit up on her clothes and bedding, so he gave the girl a bath. As he pulled her up out of the tub, she slipped from his grip and fell. As she fell, her head struck the toilet.
Havard would later say the bump on Chloe's head didn't appear serious, so he dressed her in clean clothes and put her to bed. Not wanting to worry Britt (or perhaps not wanting to anger her), he said nothing about the incident when she returned. When she did get home, Britt checked on the baby, who seemed fine. So she and Havard ate dinner and went about their evening.
Later that night, Chloe stopped breathing. Havard and Britt rushed her to a hospital. She died shortly thereafter..."
https://reason.com/archives/2018/02/27/junk-science-branded-him-a-rap
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Affidavit of biomechanical engineer Chris Van Ee, PhD:
"...It would be biomechanically incorrect to dismiss the history of fall as a causal factor resulting in the findings described at autopsy. Shaking is a less likely explanation for these findings
The rotational forces attained in manual shaking cannot be equated to those occurring as a result of a multistory fall or a high speed motor vehicle accident. To suggest otherwise is without scientific foundation...."
http://www.freejeffreyhavard.org/Ex_E_-_Van_Ee_Affidavit_with_CV.pdf
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Science questioned in shaken-baby conviction
"JACKSON, Miss. -- Thousands of Americans are behind bars, convicted of shaking babies to death and some experts now say the science that put them there is blurry.
Since 2000, at least 11 Mississippians have been convicted in such cases with two of them sitting on death row. Jeffrey Havard is one of them...
In the years since, medical belief that the shaken-baby syndrome's triad of symptoms provided ironclad proof of homicide has begun to crumble with several studies raising doubts. Some biomechanical studies suggest shaking a baby to death would be impossible without also injuring the child's neck or spine...
At the request of The Clarion-Ledger, New York pathologist Dr. Michael Baden read the autopsy report in the 2002 death of Chloe Madison Britt and examined other evidence in the case.
"There is no autopsy or scientific evidence to support a diagnosis that Chloe died of shaken-baby syndrome," Baden said.
Havard's description of accidentally dropping the baby is "entirely consistent" with the injuries found, Baden said.
In an interview last week, Hayne, who concluded in his original autopsy that Chloe died of shaken-baby syndrome, acknowledged there is "growing evidence" such a diagnosis "is probably not correct."..."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...uestioned-in-shaken-baby-conviction-/4642923/
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Despite Evidence From Discredited Medical Examiner, Mississippis Jeffrey Havard Nears Execution
Dec 06, 2017
"...In March, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger showed Haynes autopsy report to renowned forensic pathologist Michael Baden. Baden found that Chloe Britts injuries were consistent with the baby being accidentally dropped and striking her head on the toilet tank as the father described. Like Lauridson, Baden also said there were many possible causes for the sort of anal bruise Hayne found, including constipation, diarrhea or friction from a diaper. Remarkably, even Hayne himself backed off from the testimony he gave at trial, conceding to Havards legal team that a rectal thermometer could have caused the bruise (though he maintained that it wasnt likely). He also conceded that there was no anal tearing, and that what he had found in his autopsy was not necessarily conclusive of sexual assault. (Neither hospital staff nor Hayne found semen or any of Havards DNA in or near the girls rectum.)
All of that still wasnt enough to convince the Mississippi Supreme Court..."
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/steven-hayne-jeffrey-havard_b_2213976.html
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Jeffrey Havard Death Row Interview
Oct 15, 2013
[video=youtube;aY1FOOAS16s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY1FOOAS16s[/video]
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Jeffrey Havard: Innocent On Death Row
May 8, 2015
[video=youtube;WHAFAiTzMOs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHAFAiTzMOs[/video]
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Judge: Decision on Harvard Case Approaches
February 23, 2018
"NATCHEZ- The judge who will decide the fate of a man on death row said Wednesday a decision should come in a couple of months...on whether Harvard deserves a new trial....."clearly by summer"..."
https://m.natchezdemocrat.com/2018/02/23/judge-decision-on-havard-case-approaches/
Link:
https://onsbs.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/jeffwgramps.jpg
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