Father and Daughter team of investigating attorneys solves crime, frees two wrongfully accused brothers in a capital murder case.
Houston TX, March 3, 2008 – More than two years after capital murder charges against two brothers were dismissed, leading Houston law firm Musick & Musick reveals key details that changed the fate of clients wrongfully accused. By releasing the details, the attorneys hope to help young attorneys and those seeking defense alike understand the importance of covering all bases – thoroughly examining every piece of evidence.
Working beyond that which law enforcement provided, top Houston criminal defense lawyers JoAnne Musick and her father and fellow attorney Earl Musick uncovered evidence initially dismissed by the police – ultimately exonerating their client of a string of robberies and murder committed during the course of a robbery.
Following an aggravated robbery and subsequent murder, police sketch artists established composites from eyewitness accounts, which were featured on the television program Crime Stoppers. Resembling the two young men, the defendants were arrested and charged with the crimes despite claiming their innocence and whereabouts at the time of the crimes.
“They really had the deck stacked against them. The victims identified them based on composites with similarities, their truck was somewhat the same color, a member of their own family pointed a finger at them, and one brother had “supposedly’ confessed to the crimes when interrogated,” said attorney JoAnne Musick. “It looked like an airtight case from a prosecutorial standpoint.”
“With an uphill battle to disprove an alleged confession and two eyewitness identifications, we began painstakingly reinvestigating every lead in the case that had been dismissed by the police. We caught a break when they identified and located the actual “red’ not “maroon’ truck that was used in the robberies and murder,” added Musick, who is also board certified in juvenile law.
After re-interviewing the eyewitnesses, the attorneys found that most robberies in a specific geographic area pointed to two other individuals tied to other crimes in the area. In addition, new witnesses were identified to attest to the criminal activities of the newly identified suspects.
The Houston defense lawyers then created a new photo spread that included photos of the new suspects and showed it to the robbery victims, both affirming the identity of the actual perpetrators and retracting their previous statements against the previously accused brothers. With their client in jail for nearly a year and trial rapidly approaching, the Musicks presented their latest discoveries to the prosecutor.
Rejecting plea bargains in support of their clients’ innocence, the Musicks pressed forward. Upon a confession from the newly identified suspects, the lawyers were able to overturn the initial verdicts. All charges were dismissed.
“We left no stone unturned and it paid off,” said Musick.
“What made this case all the more satisfying was that our clients’ names were cleared without having to go through what could have been a lengthy and emotionally taxing trial,” she added.
The attorneys of Musick and Musick LLP work to prove their clients’ innocence and ensure that a fair trial is given to every client in pursuit of justice. They encourage other new attorneys and defendants to go beyond evidence selected by local police and prosecutors. To learn more about the work the attorneys perform log onto www.musicklawoffice.com or call 281- 443-7747.
