California governor orders new DNA tests in death row case
Source: The Hill
BY REBECCA KHEEL - 12/25/18 03:55 PM EST
California Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered new DNA testing in a high-profile 1980s quadruple murder case for which the man convicted is on death row.
The order “directs limited retesting of certain physical evidence in the case and appoints a retired judge as a special master to oversee this testing, its scope and protocols,” Brown’s office said in a statement Monday.
At issue is the case of Kevin Cooper, who was convicted in 1985 for the murder two years prior of Doug and Peggy Ryen; their 10-year-old daughter, Jessica; and their 11-year-old neighbor Christopher Hughes.
They were found in the Ryens’ Chino Hill home having been stabbed a total of 143 times with an ice pick, an ax and a knife.
Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/422837-ca-governor-orders-new-dna-tests-in-death-row-case