Alabama Man Convicted of Wife's 1985 Murder Gets New Trial as Judge Slams 'Junk Science'

An Alabama man who has spent more than 40 years in prison for the murder of his wife could be freed after a federal judge declared the key evidence used in his conviction to be "junk science" and ordered a new trial.

Charles McCrory was convicted in 1985 of beating Julie Bonds McCrory to death. The prosecution's case heavily relied on bite mark evidence, which they contended McCrory inflicted during a fit of rage. However, the forensic dentist who provided this testimony has since recanted his findings, and bite mark analysis is now widely considered unscientific and unreliable.

Chief U.S. District Judge Austin Huffaker Jr. stated in his ruling that the bite mark evidence unfairly prejudiced the outcome of McCrory's trial. He further noted that the non-bite mark evidence presented was weak.

According to the judge's order, the Alabama Attorney General's office has 180 days to either initiate a new trial for McCrory or release him from prison.

McCrory, then a 26-year-old computer programmer and volunteer paramedic, was convicted after his wife was found dead in their Andalusia, Alabama, home on May 31, 1985. She had sustained multiple head and chest wounds. Despite the absence of DNA evidence, a confession, or a clear motive, McCrory became the primary suspect.

The couple was in the process of divorcing at the time of the murder. McCrory stated that on the night of the incident, they attended couple's therapy, spent time with their toddler son, and had sexual relations before he returned to his own apartment. He was convicted based on the testimony of forensic dentist Dr. Richard Souviron, who claimed two marks on Julie's arm matched McCrory's teeth. Souviron, who had previously testified in the Ted Bundy trial, based his findings solely on photographs of the victim's body, not an examination of the body itself.

In a 2019 affidavit, Souviron stated, "I no longer believe the individualized teeth marks comparison testimony I offered in his case was reliable or proper," adding that he would not offer the same testimony today.

In 2020, the state offered McCrory a plea deal that would have allowed his release if he admitted guilt, an offer he refused. "What am I going to do, make up a story?" he reportedly said, according to AL.com. "I'm not going to plead guilty to something I didn't do."

The Alabama Attorney General's Office has not yet responded to the judge's order.