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This case reminds me of the August 10, 1991 botched Wat Promkunaram Buddhist temple murders in Waddell where 4 kids form Tucson were falsely arrested and coerced into confessing.
Mike McGraw, a patient in at Tucson mental hospital called the cops in Phoenix and said he might have some information on who committed the murders. And that ended up with the Maricopa County Sheriff coercing confessions out of Mike McGraw, Leo Bruce, Mark Nunez, Dante Parker, all who had NEVER been to Phoenix. Like the Freeway Shooter case there wasn't a shred of evidence that the Tucson Four, Mike McGraw, Leo Bruce, Mark Nunez, Dante Parker did it, other then a bogus confession that was coerced out of them, which they all recanted. The Tucson Four sat in the Maricopa Jail for almost a year until the cops discovered evidence that Johnathan Doody and Alessandro Garcia did it.
Judge dismisses case against Leslie Merritt Jr.; investigation 'botched,' freeway-shooting victim claims Megan Cassidy, The Republic | azcentral.com 8:42 p.m. MST April 25, 2016 A Maricopa County judge has dismissed the case against Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., the 21-year-old landscaper who for months faced charges stemming from a string of freeway shootings that shook the Valley last summer. No other suspects have been named to date. The case was dismissed without prejudice, though, leaving open a window for prosecutors to refile charges in the future. Monday’s ruling was a formality of sorts, capping off a ripple of bombshells delivered last week. First it was revealed in court that a state-funded expert had called into question ballistics evidence that had served as the lynchpin in the state’s case against Merritt. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren Granville subsequently lowered Merritt's bond to zero from $150,000, allowing Merritt to walk out of jail hours later. Then just before the close of business Friday, prosecutors moved to drop the case without prejudice, setting the stage for Granville’s decision Monday. Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to comment on the decision Monday, but on Friday said they received additional information that caused the office to file the motion to the court. Spokesman Jerry Cobb said an active investigation into the freeway shootings was continuing. “Dismissing the charges without prejudice will provide us with the time needed in order to prepare the case for a possible refiling of charges,” he said Friday. 'He did not commit any of the shootings' Defense attorney Jason Lamm rebuffed this notion in a brief interview Monday afternoon. “There has never been any evidence that he committed any of the shootings, there is no evidence that he committed any of the shootings, and there never will be any evidence that he committed any of the shootings, because he did not commit any of the shootings,” he said. Granville gave Merritt's defense attorneys a May 6 deadline if they planned to file a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning Merritt could not be tried again. "If such a motion is filed, this Court will afford the State an opportunity to respond and then set further hearings as warranted," Granville said in his order. The Arizona Department of Public Safety investigated the shootings last summer. On Monday, agency officials declined The Arizona Republic's request for an interview but issued the following statement: "Arizona Department of Public Safety (ADPS) in conjunction with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) moved to dismiss charges without prejudice to complete forensic examinations. Additional forensic testing and analysis could not be completed in time for the current trial date without compromising justice. This is an active investigation. ADPS will continue to work closely with the county attorney's office to ensure a full and accurate examination of all evidence in this case." Case has been unraveling The case against Merritt, who had spent seven months in jail before being released Tuesday, has unraveled in recent weeks as doubts were raised about the ballistics evidence and the shooting timeline. Then there was the question of the other seven cases. From the outset, DPS investigators said they forensically tied Merritt to four of the 11 incidents in which freeway commuters had been struck by bullets or other projectiles in August and September. Robert McDonald Jr., one of four victims named in the Merritt case, said he started to question the state’s case against Merritt months ago. “I feel bad for Mr. Merritt for having to go through this,” said McDonald, who was driving an empty tour bus to Las Vegas on Aug. 29 when it was struck. “When they arrested (him), I was convinced like everybody else was that he was the guy. Then stuff started coming out that made myself and my family think there’s some doubt here.” McDonald said he believes the investigation was “botched,” and said it’s disconcerting that the person or people actually responsible for the shootings are on the loose. “My concern is that the violence could start up again,” he said. “God only knows what happens in the future. Hopefully DPS, MCSO, Phoenix police find them before they can hurt anybody else.” More articles about how Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery is framing Leslie Allen Merritt Jr.
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