INNOCENT VICTIMS by Scott Whisnant

Finished Sa 9/10/16

This was one of my paperbacks that I first finished on Th 10/21/99. According to the notes- 'after an OT run to Moline ; Four reels on a crane trailer- 2hrs 15".

I didn't remember any of the book, but it was a real page turner.

When I finished the book I checked on the Internet and couldn't believe the fallout from the case.
Tim Hennis was brought out of retirement from the military in 2007 and retried and CONVICTED. DNA evidence at the scene proved that he had sexual intercourse with Katie. He admitted this but claimed that he didn't mention it in the first two trials because he wanted to spare the feelings of Gary, Katie's husband, and Jana, the daughter that lived.

Best wrapup of the case-

https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/staff-sergeant-tim-hennis-murder

The book at amazon (customer comments!!!)

 https://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Victims-Onyx-True-Crime/dp/0451403576/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473548502&sr=1-1&keywords=innocent+victims

At the military trial Hennis admits to sex with the victim but says that it was consensual. OK, but whose DNA was found under Katie's fingernails? It wasn't his, so isn't it possible that the murders occurred AFTER the sex?

I wish there was a comprehensive follow-up to the case which includes the results of the military trial. Sounds like there was so much evidence in that house that was not analysed. The book claims that the scene was released far to early. The defense team was not even allowed in before the owner was allowed back to paint and cleanup (the home was a rental).

Before I learned of the military retrial and the 'consensual sex', I felt that this book proves how bad eye witness testimony can be. Pat Cone was clearly either lying or delusional, but he was most likely drunk as a skunk. And, the woman at the ATM sounded like her recollection was tainted by the violent and heinous  nature of the crime. She felt that somebody should pay, and Hennis looked like a likely candidate. Both witnesses were only seeing what they wanted to see, and maybe that's the case with many eye witnesses.

And, the case was mostly circumstantial and nothing at the scene really tied Hennis to the crime. Even the DNA only proves that he had sex with the victim. I still think that it's possible that the murders could have been done by somebody else either later that night, or even Friday or Saturday. There seems to have been numerous vans and autos outside the Eastburn house on that Mother's Day Weekend.