On November 14-16, 2018, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission held a hearing in State vs. James Blackmon (Wake – 83 CRS 84695). Mr. Blackmon was convicted for the September 28, 1979 murder of Helena Payton in her college dorm at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, NC. During the hearing, the Commission’s Executive Director, Lindsey Guice Smith, presented the case …

On October 1-5, 2018, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission held a hearing in State vs. Wallace Brandon Jones (Washington – 94 CRS 1973; 95 CRS 1965) and State vs. Leroy Spruill (Washington – 94 CRS 1566; 94 CRS 1984). Mr. Jones and Mr. Spruill were convicted for the December 18, 1993 murder and robbery of Frank Swain in Plymouth, …

July 10, 2018 North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission Executive Director, Lindsey Guice Smith, was appointed by North Carolina Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks as a member of a working group to develop a strategic plan for testing of sexual assault kits. On June 25, 2018, Governor Cooper signed into law S.L. 2018-70 which directed the establishment of …

March 26, 2018 North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission Executive Director, Lindsey Guice Smith, was elected President of the North Carolina Association for Property and Evidence (NCAPE). The announcement was made on March 21, 2018 by NCAPE Executive Director Tim Culp during the 2018 Spring Training Conference, which was held at Carolina Beach, NC. Ms. Guice Smith will serve a three-year …

March 12, 2018 The North Carolina Bar Association Criminal Justice Section presented its 10th annual Peter. S. Gilchrist III and Wade M. Smith awards on Thursday, February 1st. These honors are awarded to an outstanding prosecutor (Gilchrist Award) and defense attorney (Smith Award). The awards are named for their initial recipients, former Mecklenburg County District Attorney Peter Gilchrist and renowned …

March 7, 2018 North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission Executive Director, Lindsey Guice Smith, was selected to serve on the NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Executive Steering Committee. This committee is comprised of 17 individuals from across the United States with backgrounds in criminal justice, law enforcement, evidence management, academia, and more. This collaboration is an effort to expand upon the work of …