Legal News

A Blast From the Rubik?s Cube Era: ?Fatal Vision? Case Hits 4th Circuit

By Ashby Jones

There’s a little place in our mind where we store mostly inconsequential memories from the early 1980s, bits of pop culture that we only revisit while watching ESPN Classic or at weddings of other thirty-somethings. Some of what’s there: Edwin Moses, The Day After, Drew Barrymore as a child, Phi Slamma Jamma, Let it Be Lowenbrau, and Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon.

Another memory: talking to our father about a book he was reading — “Fatal Vision” — which, we learned, was the story of an Army doctor, Jeffrey MacDonald, who was convicted years earlier for killing his pregnant wife and two daughters. The book, by Joe McGinniss, was later turned into a 1984 movie starring Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint, and Andy Griffith. After discussing the book with Dad, we remember thinking we were glad we were too young to see the Rated-R movie version.

So why do we mention this? Because Jeffrey MacDonald, 66, is back in the news. On Tuesday, the Fourth Circuit heard arguments on MacDonald’s motion for a new trial. Click here for the AP story; here for the UPI story.

According to the AP, MacDonald claims he has new evidence, including DNA tests and sworn statements by people maintaining his innocence. The UPI reports that DNA results made available in 2006 show human hair removed from under his 2-year-old daughter fingernails do not match that of MacDonald or anyone MacDonald knew.

MacDonald had claimed that a bunch of drug-crazed hippies broke into his Ft. Bragg, N.C., home and killed his family. MacDonald was convicted of murder in 1979 and is currently serving three life terms.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 23, 2010 (boomark / email).