EOB: Convicted Murderer Innocent?

The Idaho Innocence Project at Boise State University says it has unearthed evidence showing that Sarah Pearce, a woman who was convicted in 2003 for the savage beating of a Washington state motorist who was passing through the area on the freeway, may actually be innocent, in a case of mistaken identity. “There are now witnesses that have come forward with a different story … that clears Sarah and clearly implicates someone else,” said Greg Hampikian, a forensic scientist, biology and criminal justice professor and director of the Idaho Innocence Project. You can read Betsy Russell’s full Sunday column on the case here.

Question: How often do you think innocent people are convicted and sentenced to serve long terms in prison, as a result of mistaken identity or an overzealous prosecutor?