Authorities say that a box of murder evidence discovered by officials demolishing an old government building might be the key to clearing the guy found guilty of the crime. The evidence dates back decades.
A box of evidence including a knife and clothing—possibly with blood stains and other DNA—was discovered at the former New Hampshire Department of Justice just this month, according to court records that WMUR examined.
Officials discovered the box while dismantling the structure, which is scheduled to be razed and rebuilt with new parking, according to InDepthNH.
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The evidence is connected to Sharon Johnson’s 1988 murder in Bedford, Massachusetts. Johnson was discovered dead at a construction site, seven months pregnant.
Jason Carroll’s attorneys, who are hoping that examining the recently discovered evidence would establish Carroll’s innocence and overturn his more than 35-year jail sentence, are convicted in connection with Johnson’s murder.
Carroll was 19 years old at the time of the murder, according to InDepthNH. He was found guilty after making a confession that, according to his lawyers, was forced during a police interrogation. Carroll quickly withdrew his confession, and his defense team has maintained throughout that it was never supported by the facts.
Carroll’s lawyers had been looking for further evidence to show the case’s flaws and establish Carroll’s innocence for decades, but the evidence was deemed lost.
Cynthia Mousseau of The Innocence Project told WMUR, “Certainly, we’re interested in DNA testing anything that can help shed some light on who the actual perpetrator of this crime was.”
“That’s owed to Jason for sitting in prison for 35 years for a crime he didn’t commit and to Sharon Johnson’s family for not knowing who committed this crime against their loved one for 35 years.”
Two additional suspects in the case were either cleared or freed, and they have since passed away. At first, it was assumed by the authorities that Ken Johnson, the husband of Johnson, had paid Carroll and a friend to kill his wife. Ken Johnson was fired because, according to InDepthNH, there was insufficient evidence to back up that argument.
Carroll’s parole is scheduled for 2029, but he has applied for an early release on several occasions, and his lawyers are hoping that the new evidence completely exonerates Carroll from the murder charge.
Johnson’s family called for Carroll to be released early last year, but a court turned down their plea.
The attorney general’s office in New Hampshire will keep records of any new inventories for the case.