In the case regarding State of Florida vs. DeShon Thomas Trial during the week of October 14, 2013—State Prosecutor Jack Campbell called Dr. Anthony J. Clark to the witness stand on October 16, 2013 (Dr. Clark performed the victims autopsy reports).
Note: DeShon Thomas was charged with murdering 20-year-old Laqecia Herring (who was pregnant at the time of her death) and her brother 17-year-old Sterling Conner Jr. Despite numerous requests of the two victims’ autopsy reports—as Mr. Thomas sat in the Leon County Jail for over two and half years, none of Mr. Thomas’ five attorneys (1 private and 4 court appointed) would provide Mr. Thomas with a copy of the two victims autopsy reports or any information regarding an approximate time of death of both victims.
With the understanding of the significance of a timeline for any defense attorneys—in which must be establish as a part of their strategy to defend their client—there was no reason why Mr. Thomas’ private defense attorney Gregory Cummings should have kept this vital information from Mr. Thomas’ knowledge. After Mr. Cummings had been on Mr. Thomas’ case for over 16 months, having been paid nearly $30,000 and had not obtained any information that could connect Mr. Thomas to the murders (no sworn depositions from any law enforcement officers or the state’s key witness (Trentin Ross) to whom Mr. Thomas was later accused of wanting murdered ), in June 2012, Mr. Cummings knew that his days for representing Mr. Thomas was near an end. Mr. Thomas’ mother was not happy with Mr. Cummings severe lack of practice. It seemed that State Prosecutor Jack Campbell’s filings of 5 Continuances were only to buy time—one fact was that the Leon County Clerk of Courts had lost track of Mr. Trentin Ross’ whereabouts (as State Prosecutor Jack Campbell’s supposed key witness without Mr. Ross there was no case against Mr. Thomas). Mr. Ross, who was out on Supervised Pre-Trial Release in regards to a pending drug case, had been given permission by the court to move back to his hometown of Daytona Beach. As Mr. Cummings knew that his days with Mr. Thomas’ mother were numbered, Mr. Thomas’ mother pressed him for information regarding the victims’ autopsy reports. Please Click on the links to read partial of the email exchange between Mr. Cummings and Ms. Carissa Chambers (Mr. Thomas’ mother) email 7 16 12
email Autopsy 7 16 12 7 18 12
Although Mr. Cummings tried to send only a few pages from Ms. Herring’s Autopsy Report, Mr. Thomas’ mother explained that Mr. Thomas was being charged with two murders—Mr. Thomas’ mother requested Sterling Conner Jr. Autopsy Report. Again, Mr. Cummings only sent a few pages from Mr. Conner’s Autopsy Report. Although Mr. Thomas’ mother was angry due to the fact that Mr. Cummings was still being deceitful, within those few pages of both victims autopsy reports, she found enough information to support her son’s innocence—especially the stage of Rigor Mortis of the male victim.
Long before Dr. Anthony Clark sat on the witness stand and explained to a jury of 6 that going into the 2nd stage of Rigor Mortis is when a deceased victim reaches that “Moderate to Full” stage (after 12 hours), numerous medical studies have outlined what speeds up Rigor Mortis and what slows Rigor Mortis. In the Summary of Offense for Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder charging Mr. Thomas with the murders, Reserve Deputy Don Odham basically states that 21-year-old Trentin Ross heard two gun shots coming from the victims residence—then Trentin Ross received a text message from Mr. Thomas that was registered with an AT&T tower at 4:14 a.m. Therefore, Reserve Deputy Don Odham basically states that according to Trentin Ross’ statements and AT&T—Mr. Thomas murdered both victims within a few minutes after 4 o’clock in the morning on January 27, 2011. The victims were found six hours later. By Dr. Clark’s own testimony—six hours is not long enough for Mr. Conner to be at the “Moderate to Full” stage of Rigor Mortis. Mr. Thomas, who lived and worked 19 miles away did not have a car—and did not get off from work until 1:30 a.m.
When the victims were found by their family members around 10:15 a.m. on January 27, 2011, Ms. Herring and Mr. Conner were found within inches if not feet away from each other (Ms. Herring sitting in a chair and Mr. Conner on a floor wrapped in two comforters). The victims’ mother told deputies that when she’d arrived at the residence the previous night around 10 p.m. to return her daughter and granddaughter home after attending a birthday party. The victims’ mother stated that she left around 10:30 p.m. for the night—at which while she was there—her son Sterling Conner Jr. was not home. What reports do not show is if the victims’ mother was asked if she’d searched the entire two-story townhouse to see if maybe her son or a perpetrator was in the residence. (The victims were in different stages of Rigor Mortis—with Mr. Connor being in further along—in “moderate to full” as stated in Dr. Clark’s report. There was an eyewitness who’d seen Sterling Conner Jr. alive at the residence prior to the time the mother stated that she’d arrived. The witness stated that Sterling Conner Jr. had allowed a male who’d seemed to be acting suspicious into the residence. The eyewitness’s timeframe sets Sterling Conner Jr. back to have been murdered before his mother, sister and his sister’s daughter arrived home. Please Click on the link to view a page from Sterling Conner Jr. Autopsy report as an attachment to Mr. Cummings emailed to Ms. Chambers. Conner AR
On September 4, 2013 a month before Mr. Thomas was to stand trial for Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder and Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder, Defense Regional Counsel Daren Shippy provided Mr. Thomas with a Memorandum regarding information that he (Regional Counsel Daren Shippy) obtained on September 4, 2013 from Dr. Anthony J. Clark during a deposition. (The Memorandum was in lieu of Mr. Thomas’ request for the victims’ autopsy reports.) Please Click on the link to view the Memorandum. Memo 9 4 13
On October 16, 2013 Dr. Anthony J. Clark sat on the stand and discussed his educational background and all that qualified him to be an expert witness for State Prosecutor Jack Campbell. Never does Dr. Clark state that Sterling Conner Jr. was in “Moderate to Full Rigor Mortis,” as he’d reported on the day after the victims were found murdered. Dr. Clark’s testimony was that he used photos taken at the crime scene in helping him conclude findings—the photos of the crime scene showed Sterling Conner Jr. was firm/stiff—“Moderate to Full Rigor Mortis.” Dr. Clark goes further to state that the space in the morgue where the victims’ bodies were placed—actually slowed down the progression of Rigor Mortis. Ms. Herring’s stage of Rigor Mortis was noted to be “Slight to Moderate.” Please Click on the link to view a page of Ms. Herring’s Autopsy Report. Herring AR
Dr. Anthony J. Clark, MD, Associate with the District Two Office of The Medical Examiner is one of many whom the public has entrusted to bring truth and honesty into the courtroom. Instead, Dr. Clark falls in line with many others who have decided to send an innocent 17-year-old Black Tallahassee Community College student who was working at a local Taco Bell—to a Florida State Prison.
Mr. Thomas’ was never provided with a copy of his cell phone records. In the Memorandum Leon County Sheriff’s Criminal Analyst Leslie Rabon, she never mentions AT&T or Sprint as she did in previous reports. As for Mr. Thomas’ cell phone being in the area of the victims’ residence—Mr. Thomas and Mr. Ross had/ have friends and relatives in the same area. In the same Memorandum as Dr. Clark’s, there is nothing to support Mr. Thomas’ cell phone activity as to what was in the Summary of Offense for the Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder. Mr. Thomas’ cell phone records were Sealed days before Mr. Thomas was charged with the murders. Despite several requests by Mr. Thomas to have his cell phone records UnSealed–none of his defense representation filed any legal documentation to have his cell phone records UnSealed.
Mr. Thomas’ case has shown evidence of more practices of unethical and misconduct and perjury from those in authority than evidence of him (Mr. Thomas) being a murderer or even needing to solicit anyone to commit murder. Mr. Thomas was convicted only on Perjured testimony. If there was any solid inclination that Mr. Thomas was guilty of the crimes charged—then why so many LIES from those in authority? It is clear that Mr. Thomas is a victim of Tallahassee’s “Good Ol’ Boy Network.” Where those failed miserably to remember their LIES—it will be the Truth that will set Mr. Thomas free!
Side Note: Dr. Anthony J. Clark is licensed in the State of Florida and Georgia. The medical examiner in Valdosta is already under criticism of his handling of Kendrick Johnson (the 17-year-old who was found murdered at Valdosta High School. A complaint against Dr. Clark was filed with the Florida Department of Health.
Mothers Against Unethical Laws (MAUL) 