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Thread: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

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    The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    Seven-year-old Jaclyn Dowaliby was discovered missing from her home on 9th September 1988. An extensive search uncovered her body five days later. All leads pointed to Jaclyn's parents, David and Cynthia Dowaliby, who had called in her disappearance to the police.

    The parents believed an intruder had broken into their home in the middle of the night and taken Jaclyn while they slept. Authorities were suspicious and they arrested the couple.

    David and Cynthia stood trial for the murder of their daughter Jaclyn, even although the state had nothing that directly linked the Dowaliby's to the crime; their case was largely based on circumstantial evidence.

    Halfway through the trial the judge granted Cynthia a directed verdict of acquittal, citing the lack of evidence against her, but he let David's case go to the jury. The jury found David guilty of first-degree murder.

    After 18 months in prison David was granted a complete reversal by the Illinois Court of Appeals. The Appeals court judges cited that there was a lack of evidence against David.
    This was one of the most widely covered cases in Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s and people are still widely split on the innocence or guilt of the Dowaliby's.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv89P1zhdiE

    Some of the music played throughout the eppy freaks me out and also i hate when they showed her found body wrapped in the blanket.

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    I remember this one. At least I think this is the case where the jury said later that he was convicted largely based on pictures taken inside the house that showed a hole in the wall and they assumed there was violence in the household due to that. Turns out the hole was there when they bought the place.

    The hole in the wall had not even been entered as evidence but had just been seen in a photo by the jury. 
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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=23451.msg1467184#msg1467184 date=1260147490]
    I remember this one. At least I think this is the case where the jury said later that he was convicted largely based on pictures taken inside the house that showed a hole in the wall and they assumed there was violence in the household due to that. Turns out the hole was there when they bought the place.

    The hole in the wall had not even been entered as evidence but had just been seen in a photo by the jury. 
    [/quote]

    This is true.  I still sometimes go back and forth in my head as to whether the parents did it or not.

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=Clockworx link=topic=23451.msg1467186#msg1467186 date=1260147552]
    This is true.  I still sometimes go back and forth in my head as to whether the parents did it or not.
    [/quote]

    I can't really remember how I felt about that. I just remember the hole in the wall thing because my former house had a hole in a closet door and it freaked me out to think that could have sent me to prison. I'm working now so don't have time to reread the info on the case.
    Quote Originally Posted by beli View Post
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    Senior Member wheresthebeef's Avatar
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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=23451.msg1467184#msg1467184 date=1260147490]
    I remember this one. At least I think this is the case where the jury said later that he was convicted largely based on pictures taken inside the house that showed a hole in the wall and they assumed there was violence in the household due to that. Turns out the hole was there when they bought the place.

    The hole in the wall had not even been entered as evidence but had just been seen in a photo by the jury. 
    [/quote]

    What, are we in Italy now?

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=wheresthebeef link=topic=23451.msg1467218#msg1467218 date=1260150244]
    What, are we in Italy now?
    [/quote]

    I think the photo had been entered into evidence although I can't remember why. But the hole was not the focus of the picture and the prosecutor never pointed it out specifically or tried to connect it to household violence. It's frightening that the jury just took that and ran with it and sent someone to  prison over it.

    I know you're upset over the Italian system, but ours is so far from perfect itself that I would never say it's better than any other.

    Darlie Routier was convicted by the silly string video. Countless people have been sent to prison in this country based on ridiculous 'evidence.'
    Quote Originally Posted by beli View Post
    kim kardashian - made famous for having a sex tape, should die in a fire
    Quote Originally Posted by McMama View Post
    Have you ever walked into a mall, sat on God's lap, and had your picture taken?

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=23451.msg1467220#msg1467220 date=1260150562]
    Darlie Routier was convicted by the silly string video. Countless people have been sent to prison in this country based on ridiculous 'evidence.'
    [/quote]

    This is true but she still was guilty.  The video was just the nail in her coffin.  And WTB, DS was right in that the jury came to their own conclusion and made their own assumptions about the pic with the hole in the wall without knowing any details behind it like the fucking stoonads (sp?) they were. 

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=Clockworx link=topic=23451.msg1467222#msg1467222 date=1260151084]
    This is true but she still was guilty.  The video was just the nail in her coffin.  And WTB, DS was right in that the jury came to their own conclusion and made their own assumptions about the pic with the hole in the wall without knowing any details behind it like the fucking stoonads (sp?) they were. 
    [/quote]

    I'm wishy washy on Darlie. I'm not positive she's guilty, but that silly string vid just really ticked me off.
    Quote Originally Posted by beli View Post
    kim kardashian - made famous for having a sex tape, should die in a fire
    Quote Originally Posted by McMama View Post
    Have you ever walked into a mall, sat on God's lap, and had your picture taken?

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    Senior Member wheresthebeef's Avatar
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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=23451.msg1467220#msg1467220 date=1260150562]
    I think the photo had been entered into evidence although I can't remember why. But the hole was not the focus of the picture and the prosecutor never pointed it out specifically or tried to connect it to household violence. It's frightening that the jury just took that and ran with it and sent someone to  prison over it.

    I know you're upset over the Italian system, but ours is so far from perfect itself that I would never say it's better than any other.

    Darlie Routier was convicted by the silly string video. Countless people have been sent to prison in this country based on ridiculous 'evidence.'
    [/quote]

    I'm not upset, I was trying to be sarcastic. :lol:

    Sarcasm fail.

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dowaliby

    At David and Cynthia's trial, the prosecution presented testimony given by a witness named Everett Mann who stated that he saw someone with a "nose structure" resembling that of David's on the night Jaclyn disappeared near where her body was found four days later. However the person he claimed to have seen on the night in question was allegedly in an unlit parking lot about 75 yards (69 m) away on a moonless night. The prosecution also offered gruesome photos of Jaclyn's corpse into evidence that were of dubious probative value and that the appellate court later ruled were prejudicial to the jury.

    In an interview given after the trial, the jury forewoman said that fist marks on the door of a bedroom in the Dowaliby family home were critical to the jury's decision to convict David. These marks appeared in one of the evidence photos, but were never mentioned by either side. Nonetheless, the jury concluded from these marks that David had a terrible temper. In fact, these fist marks had no bearing on the case, as they had been made years earlier, before the Dowalibys had moved into their home. The jury forewoman also said that, if given the chance, the jury would have convicted Cynthia of murder as well.


    Nobody should be convicted on such evidence as this.
    Quote Originally Posted by beli View Post
    kim kardashian - made famous for having a sex tape, should die in a fire
    Quote Originally Posted by McMama View Post
    Have you ever walked into a mall, sat on God's lap, and had your picture taken?

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    Re: The Jaclyn Dowaliby Case

    Yea that "witness" that said he saw him from 3/4 of a football field away in pitch black shouldnt have even been allowed to testify as a witness.  That American Justice episode showed the parking lot at night and itd be hard to make someones face out with them 15-20 yards away, let alone 75!

    Basically there was an election coming up and obvious community outrage at wanting someone convicted of the murder hence the rush to judgement and subsequent conviction based on shit evidence.  Like i said previously, im still not a 100% believer that neither of them had anything to do with it but im glad he was cleared cause lets face it, the "evidence" they had against him was straight garbage.

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