SBI agent returns to work
The State Bureau of Investigation agent accused of withholding evidence from North Carolina's innocence commission returned to work Oct. 28 after a 60-day leave.
Posted — Updated
The Innocence Inquiry Commission has asked for a court hearing on whether Agent Duane Deaver should be held in criminal contempt, alleging that he intentionally mislead the panel during testimony in the landmark case that ended in exoneration for Greg Taylor, a Cary man who served 16 years in jail for murder.
Deaver’s testimony triggered fresh questions about the SBI lab’s policies and procedures, leading to an independent review that concluded SBI analysts had frequently misstated or falsely reported blood evidence during a 16-year period ending in 2003. The review called into question some 200 cases.
Deaver was placed on paid leave, pending the results of an SBI internal investigation.
He has returned to work in an administrative capacity, his lawyer, Philip Isley, said Saturday.
Although he is back at work, Isley said the SBI has not made a final determination about whether Deaver was in the wrong.
Copyright 2024 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
