He has previously been convicted of the murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of the 23-year-old woman Dane Ireland. On Tuesday, Albert “Ian” Schweitzer was ordered released from an Arizona prison following new evidence.
– My emotions were everywhere, says Albert “Ian” Schweitzer AP News after the hearing on Tuesday.
22 years ago, Schweitzer was convicted of the murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of 23-year-old American woman Dane Ireland in Hawaii.
A perpetrator is said to have run over Dane Ireland while she was cycling, carrying her a short distance away from the collision site, before the person is said to have raped and beaten her up.
She later died at Hilo Hospital in Hawaii.
During a hearing Tuesday in the courtroom in Hilo, Judge Peter Kubota ordered that Schweitzer be released from prison, writes AP News.
– Albert “Ian” Schweitzer should be released from the chains immediately, determined judge Peter Kubota.
New evidence
The release of the previously convicted 51-year-old comes after his lawyers presented new evidence during the hearing.
A DNA expert from California presented new evidence showing that his DNA was not found on the T-shirt of the woman who was found murdered.
– I am very grateful, says a clearly impressed Albert “Ian” Schweitzer Hawaii News Nowwhile surrounded by family members.
New analyzes also show that the tire pattern on Schweitzer’s car is not the same as the tire pattern found at the scene of the collision.
– If the trial had taken place today, a jury would not have convicted Schweitzer of sexual assault and murder, the petition states after the hearing.
Claimed innocence
Albert “Ian” Schweitzer was sentenced to 130 years in prison in 2000, and has so far served 22 of those years in an Arizona prison in the United States.
He has always insisted that he is innocent.
A man accused of drug offenses contacted the police in the aftermath of the murder and claimed that his half-brother, Frank Pauline junior, witnessed the attack by the 23-year-old woman.
Pauline, who herself was serving a sentence for another sexual assault, was questioned by the police. In the interrogations, he claimed that brothers Ian Schweitzer and Shawn Schweitzer were behind the attack and killed the young woman.
Pauline was questioned seven times, giving different explanations each time, talking herself into the case.
Despite the lack of evidence linking Ian Schweitzer and Shawn Schweitzer to the murder, the two, along with Frank Pauline, were indicted in 1997.
Pauline has later said that he wanted to give information about the Ireland murder to the police in order to have the charges against his half-brother dropped.
And long camp
The Innocence Project, Schweitzer’s lawyers and Lawson’s Group have all fought to get a new hearing.
In 2019, Schweitzer’s lawyers and prosecutors in Hawaii worked out a readmission agreement. Never before had such an agreement been made in Hawaii.
Over the past three years, the parties to the agreement have shared information and reviewed the case documents.
Prosecutor Shannon Kagawa asked Judge Kubota to deny the request for a new hearing. He believed that the new evidence would not change the outcome of a new trial.
Judge Kubota disagreed, believing that with the new evidence, a jury would acquit Schweitzer.
Now Schweitzer is back in his native Hawaii.
– It feels good to be back in Hawaii. The air and water are fresh, he tells AP News.
