Woman still jailed on dog-scent evidence granted high-court hearing

Brandi Grissom at the Texas Tribune/New York Times brings word of more fallout from the dog-scent lineups performed for two decades across Texas by former Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett.

Ms. [Megan] Winfrey; her brother, Richard Winfrey Jr.; and their father were charged with conspiring to murder and rob Murray Burr, a longtime custodial worker at the high school the Winfreys attended.

Both the father and the son are free after courts decided the state’s key evidence — obtained in scent lineups — was not enough to establish their guilt. Ms. Winfrey remains in a Gatesville prison despite the fact that her conviction hinged largely on the same dog-sniffing evidence.

“She’ll be an old lady before she’s eligible for parole, and Megan is innocent,” her father said. 

Regular readers may recall Grits writing about her father when his case was overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Now, reports the Trib's Brandi Grissom:

With the acquittals of her brother and her father and the court’s ruling on dog-scent evidence, Ms. Winfrey’s lawyers argue that she should also be acquitted, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has agreed to review her case. Ms. Winfrey’s lawyers would not make her available to comment for this article.

District Attorney Richard Countiss of San Jacinto County filed a perfunctory brief opposing Ms. Winfrey’s appeal.