The long-awaited DNA test results in the case of convicted former Green Beret Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald prompted both prosecutors and defense attorneys to claim the results bolster their theory of the 36-year-old murder of MacDonald's wife and two children in their Fort Bragg apartment.
The DNA tests determined that a hair found in the left hand of MacDonald's wife matched the DNA of her husband, not an outsider, but three other hairs found in the apartment did not belong to any member of the family.
However, the three other hairs did not match the DNA of the people MacDonald's defense team claims committed the crime -- Helena Stoeckley and her boyfriend, Gregory Mitchell. MacDonald has long claimed that hippies, including a woman wearing a wig and a big hat, were responsible for the death of his family.
MacDonald's defense attorney, Tim Junkin, said the results showing a hair found under the fingernails of one of MacDonald's daughters was "profound" new evidence. "It's a powerful piece of evidence," Junkin said.
The 1970 murders of Colette MacDonald, 26, and her daughters Kimberley, 5, and Kristen, 2, were dramatized in the best seller and miniseries "Fatal Vision." Another book, " Fatal Justice" claimed MacDonald was innocent.
MacDonald has been serving three life sentences in federal prison.
See Also:
DNA Evidence Points to MacDonald
'Fatal Vision' Case Gets New DNA Twist
MacDonald Gets DNA Answer
Background:
Profile of Jeffrey MacDonald
Witness Backs Up Jeffrey MacDonald's Defense
Jeffrey MacDonald Files Parole Request
Parole Denied for 'Fatal Vision's' Jeffrey MacDonald
Buy the Books:
Fatal Vision
Fatal Justice
Comments
This man has never been convicted fairly. They say , with out a doubt. Well, there is too much doubt in this case to convict him. What happened to reasonable doubt? There is a lot of doubt here with the floppy hat girl confessed and one of the guys. The woman at the donut shop stated that that girl had blood on her that night. He probably is guilty, but give him a fair trial and proper judgement.
so DNA test prove that a hair from Jeffrey was under the fingernail of his wife collette. as with any basic problem solving rule, use the known to prove the unknown. much like the 48 round holes in the pajama top, not one tear, all the same size?…really? ice pick jabs into a moving cloth and not one slight elongated hole? I’m no Sherlock Holmes or Colombo, but much like the Lizzie Borden case, everything seems to point to an inside job.
I just read his version of what he did that night. He said he pulled the knife out of his wife’s body. Any medical person will tell you…NO…red flag…you never pull anything out. You leave it in since it may start unstoppable bleeding. He said he did CPR on the girls, matter of fact like……I am not buying this “version”. He is where he belongs in my opinion….
I have read Fatal Vision and the new Wilderness of Errors. One book claims it was him, the other claims possibly not. From all I have read and analyzed, he is guilty as sin. Most of the arguments made on his side continue to pin all of their hopes to Helena Stockley. the most unreliable liars you will ever see. His actions after the murder were more damming than the overwhelming evidence against him. As for finding random hairs, this proves nothing. Do you know how much random DNA floats around? Especially in an apartment on an army base where a dozen different people might have lived in that apartment in a year? Guilty!