By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY ó Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook has concluded her review of three cases called into question over issues with the State Bureau of Investigation labís blood work.
ěThe blood evidence in question was not a determinant factor,î Cook said in a statement.
The Rowan cases are: Gary Alvin Starnes, who was charged with second-degree murder in 1993; Donald Gene Shores, who was charged with attempted first-degree rape and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury in 1994, and Paul Eugene Henry, who was convicted of breaking and entering and habitual felon in 1997.
Attorney General Roy Cooper called for the review, saying crime lab analysts ěomitted, overstated or falsely reported blood evidence.î
Across the state, a number of cases were flagged by an independent review process and others identified by an SBI internal review. District attorneys in several counties were asked to review the cases.
Starnes, now 50, is serving a life sentence for the shooting death of Richard Allen ěRickyî Burridge.
In November 1993, Burridge was found in a ditch in eastern Rowan County, shot twice in the abdomen.
Starnes pleaded guilty and there was no trial. Investigators told the court at the time the victim was robbed, his truck was stolen and later abandoned in Kannapolis.
Shores, now 41, was paroled in October 2009, serving 14 years of a maximum 20-year sentence for the assault and a maximum 15-year sentence for the attempted rape.
In 1997, Henry pleaded guilty to breaking into several Rowan County churches along with another man and a juvenile. Henry served 10 years in prison. He also served time for other charges in both Rowan, Cabarrus and Iredell counties that occurred before his 1997 arrest.
In June 2009, Henry was charged with second-degree kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous weapon, burglary and a sex offense. Those charges against Henry, now 41, are pending.
ěIn each case, other evidence supported the defendantís conviction,î Cook said.
Last year a Wake County man was released from prison after serving 17 years for a murder he did not commit. Taylorís innocence hearing prompted a further look into lab work for cases from 1987-2003.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.