The Delaware County District Attorney is appealing a judge’s order granting a new trial for three Chester men convicted of a 1997 murder, writes Alex Rose for the Daily Times.
Samuel Grasty, 47; Morton Johnson, 44; and Derrick Chappell, 41, are in prison for the murder of Henrieta Nickens that took place in her Chester home back on Oct. 10, 1997.
Last month, Common Pleas Judge Mary Alice Brennan granted a new trial based on new exculpatory DNA evidence introduced by defense attorneys in 2022 who argued that an unknown person was the actual murderer and that the three men weren’t at the home the night of the murder.
But District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer is not convinced the new DNA evidence clears the three men.
“While I have great respect for Judge Brennan, I do not believe the DNA evidence recently submitted to the court, which matches the DNA already entered into evidence at each of the three defendants’ individual trials, constitutes new evidence under Pennsylvania law, and certainly does not exonerate these defendants,” Stollsteimer stated.
Stollsteimer’s appeal was filed Friday with the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
Read more detail about the new evidence and see attorney reaction to the district attorney’s filing in the Daily Times.
