New DNA Evidence Gets Retrial For Man Convicted Of Murder
By Mike Dougherty
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- A convicted murderer will get a retrial after new DNA evidence links another man to the rape and murder of a 77-year-old woman in 1991. Philadelphia District Attorneys remain confident Anthony Wright will once again be found guilty, despite the new evidence.
"Fairness dictates that a jury be able to consider this evidence along with all of the other evidence," said Assistant District Attorney Mark Gilson, speaking about other evidence that includes Wright's confession, along with jeans and a hoodie stained with the victim's blood.
"He has admitted that this was his clothing and multiple witnesses described him as having been seen wearing that clothing on the night of the murder," Gilson said.
The DNA belongs to Ronnie Byrd, a known criminal who died last year.
Gilson says that just confirms part of what investigators already knew. They believe Wright was not the only person inside the victim's home before, during and after the murder.
Wright's legal team could not be reached for comment.
