Killing Case Dropped After Mistake By Lab

A man accused of the abduction and slaying of a 16-year-old girl had the charge against him dropped today after the state crime lab admitted it made a mistake in linking him to the crime with fiber evidence.

Lawyers for Karl Michael Roush had actually asked Spotsylvania Circuit Judge William H. Ledbetter Jr. to let the case go to trial, saying their client wanted to clear his name in the death of Sofia Silva.

“He has suffered a considerable amount of anxiety,” defense attorney Benjamin Woodbridge said during a brief hearing. “He wants to get the case resolved rather than have it linger.”

But Ledbetter instead dismissed the charge, then wished Roush good luck. He was returned to jail where he was already serving a sentence for shoplifting. He is due for release in September.