Investigation
Numerous leads were missed by the Columbia Police Department:
1) The shoeprints at the scene do not match Erickson and Ferguson. The footprints belong to 2 caucasian males that happened upon the scene after the attack. In an effort to help, these 2 males called out to Shawana Ornt to call 911, which she did. They did not stay for the police arrival rather they walked away from the scene towards the campus. Most likely, they were intoxicated and did not want police contact.
2) Construction of a timeline of Heitholt's activities points to only one person who had the means, opportunity and motive to kill Heitholt. His ever changing story should have red-flagged him to the police.
3) Boone County needs to perform "touch DNA" on Kent Heitholt's clothes. The touch DNA method - named for the fact that it analyzes skin cells left behind when assailants touch victims, weapons or something else at the crime scene has been around for the last five years. Touch DNA does not require you to see anything , like blood or semen. It only requires 7 or 8 cells from the outermost layer of the skin.
If Boone County is serious about catching the real killer of Kent Heitholt, they will immediately do "touch DNA" on his clothes.
In cases like Jon Benet Ramsey and Josh Kezer, which tripped up
authorities for years, touch DNA has given the DNA profile of the real
killer - and most importantly, led to the exoneration of the wrongfully
accused.
“There is no excuse in the year 2010 not to use the most advanced science available to solve the Heitholt murder once and for all. Touch DNA has been used successfully in a number of high profile cases in the United States in the last few years. It is ludicrous to be basing Ryan Ferguson’s conviction on the fallible memories to two witnesses when DNA testing could remove any doubt about who committed the brutal murder. The only possible explanation for not doing this testing would be the fear of exposing the mistakes made in this case.”
-Kathleen Zellner
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