Joseph Sledge Case

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Liberty University *

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362

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Political Science

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Jan 9, 2024

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Joseph Sledge Case Erin Young Helms School of Government: Liberty University CJUS 362 (D01): Crime Scene Management Professor Jonathan Pelletier November 6, 2023

2 Abstract The wrongful conviction of Joseph Sledge proves that mistakes are made within the criminal justice system. These mistakes are to be addressed and prevented. Because of investigators’ tunnel vision, coincidences, and lack of willingness to perform a thorough investigation, an innocent man spent the majority of his life in prison. Two women were brutally murdered around the same time Sledge escaped prison, and investigators chose him as the suspect and attempted to link the evidence to him. Training, policy, ethics, and protocol should be clearly stated and executed to avoid mistakes and human error in crime scene investigations. When conducting an investigation from a biblical standpoint, the actions and performance may be different than those with a secular worldview because Christians should strive to be honest with their work and use their God-given talents to do their best without slacking in any area.

3 Joseph Sledge Case One of the goals of the criminal justice system is to convict the guilty and prove innocence. Sometimes justice is not served fairly when the guilty walk away freely and the innocent are sent away. One such case is an example of an innocent person being sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Joseph Sledge spent almost forty years in prison after being accused of the murder of Josephine and Aileen Davis. When investigating crimes, it is important to look at all evidence and be open to all possibilities. The human error of tunnel vision, discrimination, or carelessness can easily come into play to close a case. Training, policy, ethics, and protocol must be embedded into law enforcement personnel so they can do their job to the best of their ability. Facts of the Joseph Sledge Case Joseph Sledge, an African American male, was serving a four-year sentence at White Lake Prison Camp in Bladen County, North Carolina. He happened to escape the same day Josephine and Aileen Davis were brutally stabbed and likely sexually assaulted. Some of the evidence on the scene included African American hairs, bloody palm prints, and bloody shoe prints, none of which belonged to Sledge. The lead prosecutor for Sledge’s second trial was future North Carolina Governor, Mike Easley who was fixated on the hair evidence to convict Sledge. The hair evidence and Sledge’s hair appeared to match according to an analyst. Two inmates were given compensation to testify against Sledge, which strengthened the prosecutor’s argument. In 1978, he was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to two life sentences during his second trial. While in prison, Sledge filed over twenty-five motions to prove his innocence. With the advancement in DNA technology, he pleaded for the hairs to be tested to show they were not his. State agencies did not grant his motions, but the North Carolina

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