This report delves into Edward Honaker cause of death and obituary. Edwards’s story is a sad one it shows the flaws in our judiciary system which has seen people being wrongfully convicted all the time.
In Virginia, Edward Honaker was found guilty in 1985 on a number of counts of rape, sodomy, and sexual assault. He received three life sentences and 34 years in prison. A woman and her boyfriend were the targets of the attack as they slept in their car in a rural region.
They were approached by a man brandishing a gun who was posing as a police officer. He pushed the boyfriend into the nearby woods. He then dragged the victim into his truck and raped her repeatedly thereafter moving to a new location.
With the assistance of the victims, the police were able to create a drawing of the attacker. The assailant was left-handed and 6 feet 4 inches tall.
Another lady who had been raped 100 miles away later informed authorities that the man who had attacked her resembled Honaker, who lived nearby. He was never charged with this crime because his alibi was credible.
The victims of the first attack, however, were shown Honaker’s photograph by the investigating officer. They then chose Honaker’s image from a lineup of pictures.
Then, in court, the initial rape victim identified Honaker. Both she and her boyfriend said Honaker’s truck was comparable to the one the attacker was driving.
A state’s forensic expert said that hair found on the woman’s shorts was “consistent” with Honaker’s hair, and camouflage apparel found in Honaker’s home that was similar to the attacker’s served as additional proof. Following that, the analyst said, “It is unlikely that the hair would match anyone other than the defendant, but it is possible.”
Edward Honaker cause of death and obituary
Edward Honaker submitted a request for a pardon based on this DNA exclusion. The state signed his petition. After ten years in prison, Honaker received a pardon in October 1994.
The state’s forensic expert admitted that he would not have testified about the conclusive hair match that assisted in convicting Honaker at trial if he had known that Honaker had undergone a vasectomy.
Honaker won $500,000 from the Commonwealth in 1996 as compensation for his unjustified detention. In June 2015, he passed away due to cancer.
