Podcast - Convicted on Bite Mark Evidence

In 1985, Charles McCrory was wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife, Julie Bonds in Andalusia, Alabama. McCrory, who found his wife dead in their home, quickly became a suspect in the case, and maintained his innocence from the beginning, immediately complying with police and investigators.

Sensing the District Attorney did not have a strong case against McCrory, the Bonds family hired private attorneys to prosecute the case instead. The key evidence in the case against McCrory was testimony from dentist Dr. Richard Souviron, who said a “bite mark” on Ms. Bonds’ body matched her husband’s teeth. Dr. Souviron has now recanted that opinion and denied the injury was a bite mark at all. Two additional forensic dentists also provided sworn testimony that the injury was not a bite mark. In fact, “bite mark” evidence is now considered unscientific evidence and a leading contributor of wrongful convictions. 

Hairs clutched in Ms. Bonds hand were examined, presumably because they were pulled from the attacker’s hands during the violent struggle. Those hairs were conclusively determined not to belong to McCrory or Ms. Bonds. Additionally, a red bandana like the one worn by Alton Ainsworth, who worked at a construction site next to the victim’s house. and committed a similar home invasion and rape five weeks after the murder, was found at the crime scene. The physical evidence in the case, including the red bandana, was destroyed.

Despite no other evidence connecting McCrory to the crime, he was sentenced to life in prison and has suffered almost four decades of wrongful incarceration. When he was wrongly convicted, McCrory had no previous history of violence or criminal record. The day he found his wife murdered, he cooperated with police and consented to a search of his own body, home, and vehicle. No incriminating evidence was found, despite that he was alleged to have just committed a brutal murder. He consistently explained his whereabouts at the time of the murder and testified on his own behalf at trial.

You can listen to his story on the podcast episode "Convicted on Bite Mark Evidence - The Charles McCrory Case" from the One Minute Remaining podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon Music podcasts. One Minute Remaining is a true crime podcast that focuses on sharing the stories of individuals serving lengthy prison sentences. The podcast features interviews with incarcerated people, allowing them to tell their stories about their crimes and experiences in prison, regardless of their guilt or innocence.