| First Name | David Brian |
| Last Name | Sutherlin |
| Year of Conviction | 1985 |
| Year of Exoneration | 2002 |
| Testing inculpated culprit | Cold Hit |
| State of Conviction | Minnesota |
| Trial, Bench Trial, or Guilty Plea | Trial |
| Type of Crime | Rape |
| Death Sentence | No |
| Life / LWOP sentence | Life |
| Gender of Exoneree | Male |
| Race of exoneree | Black |
| Juvenile | No |
| Did the defendant testify at trial? | No |
| Types of evidence at trial |
|
| Type of Forensic Evidence |
|
| Types of Flawed Forensics |
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| Brief Quote / Description of Testimony | Victim an AB secretor, PGM 1+; Sutherlin a B secretor, PGM 2+1+. Swab was PGM 2+1+. “Q. So that test – you can’t tell anything about the donor because she masks all of those blood groupings? A. That is correct.” The analyst further testified that approximately 22% of the population has PGM 2+1+. |
| Identity of eyewitness |
|
| Multiple eyewitnesses | 3 |
| Lineup Procedures |
|
| Suggestive Procedures | No (unknown) |
| Unreliable Identification? | Yes ● Discrepancies in description – hair, facial hair ● Uncertain at trial (news accounts) |
| Highest level reached | Appeal |
| Claims Raised During All Appeals and Postconviction |
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| Harmless Error Rulings |
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| Citations to judicial opinions | State v. Sutherlin, 393 N.W.2d 394 (Minn. App. 1986) |