Summary
“The Evidence: Indeed and Without Doubt” discusses Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer, who were both charged with murder.
On September 15, 1990, in Mississippi, 3-year-old Courtney Smith was announced missing. The Innocence Files Episode 1 details how Courtney Smith was found in a pond. The primary wound they drew attention to was the bite marks on her, amongst other wounds. The prosecutors recruited forensic dentist, Dr Michael West — the dentist took 12 sets of impressions from 12 different black men.
Another factor is that they hired Uncle Bunky, a man who hosted a local children’s show and was a skilled artist; he drew for Courtney’s siblings to detail what they saw that night. The police got a name – Levon Brooks.
Another factor they discussed was that the attorney, Forrest Goodall, was highly persuasive, and the fact that one of the sisters was adamant that they had seen Levon Brooks. In the courtroom, they put up the tooth mark analysis as evidence. Levon Brooks was found guilty and was given a life sentence.
Episode 1 strangely starts by interviewing Dr. Smith again, who begins harping on about his science and credentials. Two years later, a girl called Christina Jackson goes missing. Kennedy Brewer was the main suspect. His lawyer at the time got him a plea deal, afraid that if it went to trial, he’d get the death sentence.
And there were bite marks again; Dr West claimed they were “indeed and without doubt” done by Kennedy Brewer, and it was the central part of the case again. The forensic dentist who was part of the Ted Bundy team argued against Dr West’s testimony and evidence, but it didn’t work, and Kennedy Brewer was given the death sentence.
“The Evidence: Indeed and Without Doubt” hints that the teeth mark analysis was not credible science to put these two men down. There were other variables too — the lead jury member of the Levon Brooks case was white, which was felt to be intentional. Neither man had a formidable defence either.
Kennedy Brewer wrote to the Innocence Project pleading that they help him, as he is wholly convinced he did not murder Christina Jackson.
“The Evidence: Indeed and Without Doubt” presents an insightful rivalry between two forensic dentists who claim each other’s science is nonsense. However, I must say that Dr. Michael West made himself look rather foolish in his interviews in this episode by being arrogant and seemingly bitter about the situation.
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