Archive for the ‘Suspect Convictions Barton McNeil’ Category

Important Wrongful Conviction TV episode & live event

Posted: September 20, 2021 by parchangelo in Barton McNeil, High profile criminal defense, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Scott Reeder, Suspect Convictions Barton McNeil, Suspect Convictions Christina McNeil, Suspect Convictions Misook Nowlin, Terrible Wrongs - Other Cases, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, the wrongful conviction of Barton McNeil
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There are two chances to watch the new Oxygen “Behind Bars” episode:

  • The “Behind Bars” TV episode mentioned in the poster above will premiere on TV on Saturday, September 28, 2021, at 8 PM in all markets except CST where it will air at 7 PM, on the Oxygen Channel. It contains separate, new video interviews by the producers with both Misook Nowlin, and Barton McNeil.
  • The episode will also reair on Sunday, September 26th, 2021, at 4 PM and 9 PM in all markets except CST where it will air at 3 PM and 8 PM.

On Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 at 7:00 pm there will be a special live presentation and airing at the Normal Theatre, in Normal, IL, of the Oxygen Network’s 2-hour premiere special “Snapped: Behind Bars” chronicling the Barton McNeil and Linda Tyda murder cases. This will be followed by a live expert discussion among distinguished panelists, and we urge everyone to attend (See flyer for tickets).

  • Barton McNeil is one of a group of convicted IL prison inmates from McLean County, IL, all convicted during the same time-period by the same authorities, and all serving long sentence terms who are trying to exonerate themselves. We have previously mentioned his case as a wrongful conviction.

Barton NcNeil is represented by the IL Innocence Project; (IIP), one of only a few Illinois legal assistance organizations that work to free people after they are wrongly convicted. Barton McNeil was convicted for the June 1998 death of his three-year-old daughter, Christina McNeil, who was found lifeless in her bed. Bart called 911 upon finding her unresponsive in the morning, and police initially treated her death as natural. That changed after Barton pointed out suspicious signs of entry to her room from outside. Barton suspected his girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, with whom he had just broken up. Police failed to pursue leads indicating Nowlin’s possible involvement in Christina’s death and instead Barton McNeil was tried and then convicted as his daughter’s murderer.

After Christina’s death and Barton’s conviction, Misook Nowlin, then went on to be independently convicted in 2013, of murdering her mother-in-law, Linda Tyda, by strangulation. Certain elements of Tyda’s death have been compared to Christina’s. Misook Nowlin has been featured as a murderess in a 2017 Oxygen TV episode of the show “Snapped” as well as in the “Broken Ties” season 11 episode 3 of the TV show “Deadly Women”.

Nowlin, lost an original appeal of her murder conviction and then a follow-up post-conviction challenge. She is presently serving 55 years in IL prison. Barton, by contrast, has recently been granted a rare opportunity in post-conviction to challenge in court faulty forensic evidence which was used to originally convict him. The Illinois Innocence Project is representing him in that matter, but his case is also garnering national attention. You can read here why the IIP took on his case: https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/current/mcneil/

Suspect Convictions Episode 3 on Christina McNeil murder case.

Posted: November 10, 2017 by smallmouth63 in Barton McNeil, Barton McNeil Podcast, Scott Reeder, Suspect Convictions, Suspect Convictions Barton McNeil, Suspect Convictions Christina McNeil, Suspect Convictions Exonerations, Suspect Convictions Misook Nowlin, Terrible Wrongs - Other Cases, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, the wrongful conviction of Barton McNeil, Wrongful Convictions
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http://wglt.org/post/suspect-convictions-episode-3-does-modern-forensics-undercut-sex-assault-motive (Click here)

Scott Reeder and Willis Kern get caught up in this episode discussing the emotionally charged allegation that Christina McNeil was sexually abused before death. The sensationalism of his allegation would certainly have swayed anyone towards convicting Barton McNeil. Yet there was no DNA, no penetration; just a little redness, swelling, and slight blood found in connection with her body. Remember too that police initially regarded Christina’s death as natural. Was her body injured when examined or samples were taken? Body orifices swell after death & Chrisina‘s was nearing rigor mortis.

Prosecutors didn’t charge Barton McNeil with sexual assault, so it’s likely they knew the evidence wasn’t strong enough to support them doing so, but the allegation was used at his trial. Yet, no one, especially Christina’s conscientious mother Tita saw any signs of abuse. We think it’s most likely that Christina was not sexually abused before she died. Reeder and Willis should have discussed how prosecutors were even able to raise this claim or suggest it at trial and how the court allowed it. We think this claim has little credibility. It’s credible to believe that Christina was killed by someone; an intruder, or possibly Misook Knowlin. Suffocating her quietly is possible. It really stretches credibility to believe that the person who killed her also sexually abused her at the same time. Attention is focused on her parents, and we seriously doubt either had a motive to do so.  Hopefully Reeder and Willis will spend time discussing the latitude prosecutors have in raising at trial inflammatory issues like this and using them to convict on slim or no evidence.

More critical is what Reeder mentions happened to Christina’s body: that it was cremated before a defense pathologist could examine it & that the court and Barton’s lawyer both agreed to this.If Barton’s lawyer was a party to this, that supports Barton McNeil’s claim that his attorney failed to represent him properly. Basically, by not opposing immediate cremation and ensuring the pathologist inspected the body, Barton’s attorney allowed the “spoliation” (or destruction) of critical and potentially exculpatory evidence against Barton McNeil.

Suspect Convictions Podcast: Episode 2, Window Reveals Web Evidence

Posted: November 5, 2017 by parchangelo in Barton McNeil, Barton McNeil Podcast, Scott Reeder, Suspect Convictions, Suspect Convictions Barton McNeil, Suspect Convictions Christina McNeil, Suspect Convictions Episode 2, Suspect Convictions Exonerations, Suspect Convictions Misook Nowlin, Terrible Wrongs - Other Cases, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, the wrongful conviction of Barton McNeil, Wrongful Convictions
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This is the 2nd episode of Scott Reeder’s Suspect Convictions Podcast detailing the 1998 Bloomington, IL murder case of 3-yr old Christina McNeil. Her father was convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison. He is fighting for his exoneration with the help of the IL Innocence Project.

Suspect Convictions Episode 2 (Click on this link)

By  & SCOTT REEDER • NOV 3, 2017

GLT is partnering with the true crime podcast Suspect Convictions to explore the 1998 murder of 3-year-old Bloomington girl Christina McNeil.

Her father was convicted of the crime but has long maintained his innocence, claiming that an ex-girlfriend was the real killer—the same woman later convicted in a separate murder. New episodes air Fridays on GLT’s Sound Ideas. You can also subscribe to the podcast.

A simple window screen and some spider webs may be the clues that exonerate a convicted murderer.

Christina McNeil, 3, who was found dead in her father’s apartment.

Christina McNeil’s lifeless body was found in her father Barton’s Bloomington apartment on June 16, 1998. Barton McNeil argued that cuts in the window screen were proof that someone broke in, killed Christina and snuck out. A judge convicted him anyway, and Barton is now in prison for the crime.

McNeil’s conviction is the focus of Season 2 of Suspect Convictions, a joint reporting project between GLT and investigative journalist Scott Reeder. McNeil maintains his innocence and claims his ex-girlfriend is the real killer. McLean County prosecutors say the right man is behind bars.

The Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) has taken up McNeil’s case and is expected to file motions this fall in hopes of winning him a new trial. John Hanlon, IIP’s executive and legal director, said they’ll introduce new evidence that disproves the prosecution’s claim that Christina was sexually assaulted prior to her death, by showing that “artifacts” found on her body were not indicators of assault.

“This case is a priority for us for one reason, because we’re absolutely certain that Bart McNeil is innocent of this crime,” Hanlon said. “At the end of the day, a judge is going to be hard-pressed to say anything, but this was not a sexual assault situation.”

Episode 2 of Suspect Convictions, which debuted Nov. 3 on GLT, closely examines the window in the bedroom where 3-year-old Christina was killed.

McNeil told police the day of the murder he suspected his ex-girlfriend, Misook (Wang) Nowlin, snuck into his apartment and killed Christina. That theory has taken on new resonance after Nowlin was convicted in 2012 of killing her mother-in-law. Nowlin is currently serving a 55-year prison sentence. She could not be reached for comment.

Barton McNeil is serving his prison sentence at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois.
CREDIT ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Prosecutors claimed spider webs found on the window prove an intruder couldn’t have used that as an entrance, as that would’ve disrupted the webs. McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers’ office has reviewed the case and come to the same conclusion as his predecessor did: McNeil is guilty.

“As I read through it with an open mind and objectively, I became convinced that the conviction was correct,” said Mary Koll, an assistant state’s attorney in Chambers’ office. “I just think (the spider web) is one piece of the puzzle, and it’s one more thing that goes to the common-sense argument that what (McNeil is) suggesting happened here simply could not have.”

The existence of spider webs on the window when police investigated the crime scene doesn’t mean someone didn’t break in, said Todd Blackledge, a biology professor at the University of Akron who’s studied spider webs.

Certain spiders can spin webs relatively quickly, in as little as a half-hour, he said. Others take days.

“There’s a lot of ambiguity. I would not feel comfortable saying a spider web precludes the possibility that window screen was opened that night. I’d need more information,” Blackledge said.

“Suspect Convictions” 2nd season airing now on WGLT.org

Posted: October 23, 2017 by parchangelo in Barton McNeil, Barton McNeil Podcast, Suspect Convictions, Suspect Convictions Barton McNeil, Suspect Convictions Christina McNeil, Suspect Convictions Misook Nowlin, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, the wrongful conviction of Barton McNeil, Wrongful Convictions
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GLT Teams With Suspect Convictions Podcast to Examine 1998 Bloomington Murder
By  • 9 HOURS AGO

WGLT, Bloomington-Normal’s public media, is partnering with the popular true crime podcast Suspect Convictions to explore the 1998 murder of a 3-year-old Bloomington girl, Christina McNeil.

Barton McNeil was convicted of killing his daughter, Christina, but has long maintained his innocence. He says his ex-girlfriend was the real killer—the same woman who 13 years later was convicted in a second McLean County murder. Now serving a life sentence in a southern Illinois prison, McNeil is pursuing exoneration with help from the Illinois Innocence Project.

Season 2 of Suspect Convictions will focus on the McNeil case. Each episode of Suspect Convictions will be broadcast during GLT’s Sound Ideas every Friday at noon and 6 p.m., starting Oct. 27. The podcast will also be available through popular apps like Apple iTunes and Stitcher. Every episode and additional materials will first be available at WGLT.org.

Each episode of Suspect Convictions will be broadcast during GLT’s Sound Ideas every Friday at noon and 6 p.m., starting Oct. 27.

Suspect Convictions producer Scott Reeder will partner with GLT News Director Emeritus Willis Kern on Season 2. The show’s successful first season, chronicling a 1990 Quad Cities murder, was a joint production with WVIK Quad Cities 90.3 FM.

“Scott’s partnership with fellow public radio station WVIK in the Quad Cities for the show’s first season was a great success,” said GLT general manager R.C. McBride. “WGLT is the perfect home for this kind of in-depth journalism. I know our audience will look forward to hearing and reading the work, and I hope this platform provides an opportunity for the GLT news team’s work to find a new audience.”

Reeder is a veteran freelance journalist based in Springfield.

“After 30 years in the news business, I’m honored to work with a journalist of the caliber of Willis Kern. He is a man of integrity and skill,” Reeder said. “Together we will explore intricacies of the murder of Christina McNeil and provide our listeners with differing perspectives on the evidence. We hope to honor the memory of this precious, little girl and help ensure justice is done.”

GLT’s Sound Ideas, the station’s flagship newsmagazine show, airs at noon and 6 p.m. every weekday. It also streams at WGLT.org and is available on the NPR One app.

Suspect Convictions’ first season is available at SuspectConvictions.