OLYMPIA — The state Supreme Court today reversed the 1994 conviction of death-row inmate Darold R. Stenson, who was convicted in 1993 shooting deaths of his wife, Denise, and business partner, Frank Hoerner, at Stenson’s exotic bird farm outside of Sequim.
Stenson’s rights were violated when the state did not provide evidence consisting of photographs and an FBI file to Stenson counsel until 2009, the court said in an 8-1 ruling.
The photograph showed the lead investigator in the case wearing Stenson’s bloodstained jeans, and the file consisted of FBI lab notes.
“Stenson, in our judgment, has met his burden of showing that there is a reasonable probability that, had the FBI file and photographs been disclosed to the defense, the result of his trial would have been different,” the court said in the majority opinion.
