Mixed verdict for 3 Philadelphia detectives in perjury trial involving a 2016 murder exoneration

The trial of three retired Philadelphia detectives charged with lying about evidence in a homicide case has concluded with a mixed verdict. Martin Devlin was acquitted of all charges, while Frank Jastrzembski was found not guilty on all counts except one. Manuel Santiago was acquitted of two charges but convicted on two others. This prosecution was notable, as it is rare for public officials to face criminal charges related to their involvement in innocence cases.

The case dates back to 1991, involving the rape and murder of an elderly widow, Louise Talley. Anthony Wright was convicted of the crimes at age 20 and spent 25 years in prison until DNA evidence exonerated him in 2016. During his retrial, Wright argued that his confession was coerced, a claim that detectives denied. Complications arose when Devlin struggled to transcribe the confession during the retrial, raising questions about its authenticity.

Wright testified in court, maintaining that he had been forced to sign his confession while handcuffed at police headquarters, despite acknowledging that he had signed every page. He faced extensive cross-examination regarding his alibi and previous trial witnesses who had implicated him. His second jury ultimately acquitted him, leading to his release after decades of wrongful incarceration.

District Attorney Larry Krasner, who has made police accountability a central focus of his administration, charged the detectives just before the expiration of the statute of limitations. The detectives faced accusations of lying about the confession and their knowledge of DNA evidence that could have exonerated Wright. The detectives, none of whom testified during the trial, maintained their innocence, with defense attorneys arguing that the prosecution unfairly influenced the grand jury against them.

After the verdicts were delivered, Jastrzembski was found guilty of a false swearing count related to his testimony about prior knowledge of DNA results, while Santiago faced similar charges regarding that evidence. Devlin was acquitted of several counts of perjury and false swearing. The defense contended that the charges reflected a mischaracterization of the detectives' conduct, a point that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to pursue during pretrial appeals.