In Episode Five, we heard how police brought two eyewitnesses into the same room and had them confront each other about conflicting accounts. Now, in Part Six, we examine something equally troubling.
Myleka Avery, the prosecution's only eyewitness, spent her first two police interviews stating she did not know Traveontaye Berry. She had no idea who had fired a gun in her home that night.
Then came the photo lineup.
But here's the problem: it was never recorded. The officer conducting the identification procedure failed to document the moment Myleka allegedly picked Tray out of a lineup. Instead, the recording only begins after the fact. We hear the officer ask: "Now I just showed you a photo lineup and you picked someone out. Who did you pick?"
The witness identification is one of the most critical moments in any criminal investigation. A recorded lineup protects both the witness and the accused. It prevents suggestion. It prevents influence. It creates an objective record of exactly what happened.
This didn't happen. And the witness who couldn't identify Tray two interviews earlier suddenly could identify him in a process that was never documented.
This is Part Six of Traveontaye Berry's story: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours.
","author_name":"Jack Laurence"}