A Case of Mistaken Identity (1 Viewer)

Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
8,801
Reaction score
10
Age
44
Location
Uptown
Offline
Innocent Girl Held A Week In North Platte Jail

“We are horribly sorry,” the cop said.

The 17-year-old girl who was wrongly locked in jail for seven days might be feeling terribly lucky.

Amanda Sylvester might still be in jail, facing criminal charges that included aiding and abetting a robbery, were it not for an anonymous tip to a Crimestopper hotline.

Her arrest and arraignment stemmed from mistaken identity, according to Lieutenant Rick Ryan of the North Platte Police Department. One of the men involved in the recent robbery of a Kwik Shop identified Sylvester through a photograph, but said he didn’t know her name.

http://nebraska.statepaper.com/pages/drudged/innocent.html

Would you have been able to tell?

454a32dc2d927-31-1.jpg

454a32dc2d927-77-2.jpg
 
They resemble each other because of the hair and the piercings, but they do not look alike
7 days in the lock up because you resemble someone else. Another great example of outstanding police work.
 
They resemble each other because of the hair and the piercings, but they do not look alike
7 days in the lock up because you resemble someone else. Another great example of outstanding police work.

When you factor in face shape, skin tone, hair color, hair style, and also the piercings, AND when you factor in that the person making the ID only saw the person briefly, it is very believable that someone would think this is the same person.

Of course, that's also why experts will tell you that eye witnesses are the least reliable form of evidence in a legal setting.
 
They resemble each other because of the hair and the piercings, but they do not look alike
7 days in the lock up because you resemble someone else. Another great example of outstanding police work.

I wouldn't say that this is an example of bad police work. They look very similar. Same hair style, same general appearance and same piercings. Couple that with the fact that she actually knew the other people involved in the robbery, and I don't see how the police don't make the arrest. It was terrible for her, no doubt, but let's not slam the police department on this one.
 
:luxhello:
---------------------------------
Reminds me of my boy Kenny, who while riding a NOPSI bus home from Brother Martin circa 1980 where all the white people on it got robbed (he lost his watch), the old lady up front couldn't identify anyone because "they all look the same to me."

I've often wondered how difficult it would be to identify Chinese criminals. :shrug:

TPS
 
When you factor in face shape, skin tone, hair color, hair style, and also the piercings, AND when you factor in that the person making the ID only saw the person briefly, it is very believable that someone would think this is the same person.

Of course, that's also why experts will tell you that eye witnesses are the least reliable form of evidence in a legal setting.

The shape of the face is different. Other features that are different: most prominent are the nose and the mole; the ears, the eyebrows, forehead, chin. As per the article, one of the robbers "identified" her from a picture. What about the others? Someone must've known her name. Maybe they call her Ms. Pink.

Besides, even if you take the word of one of the suspects that she was an accomplice by pointing to a picture, that's all they have. The word of one of three suspects that says "that one was in it". What about the other 2 suspects? Did they recognize the same picture? Did they know her name? No line-up? No checking alibi? 7 days incarceration? Evidence against her other than one out 3 suspects pointed to a picture? Arraigment and $250,000 dlls bail on one person saying she did soemthing without any further evidence?

I can go on and on.

Sure, if I'm an investigator and a robbery suspect tells me "she was in it", I'd bring her in for questioning, but I'll go through the motions to make sure I'm arresting the right person. For the cops, to the court, bunch of small town buffoons paroding the legal system.
 
I wouldn't say that this is an example of bad police work. They look very similar. Same hair style, same general appearance and same piercings. Couple that with the fact that she actually knew the other people involved in the robbery, and I don't see how the police don't make the arrest. It was terrible for her, no doubt, but let's not slam the police department on this one.

Yes, there are only 2 red-headed teenagers in all of Nebraska that wear loops and have a pierced eyebrow. Please. They could've gone to the local mall on a Friday evening and pick a couple dozen of them. So she "knows" the people who supposedly commit the robbery. So knowing someone is cause for an arrest?

Now, copying and pasting from a previous response:

Besides, even if you take the word of one of the suspects that she was an accomplice by pointing to a picture, that's all they have. The word of one of three suspects that says "that one was in it". What about the other 2 suspects? Did they recognize the same picture? Did they know her name? No line-up? No checking alibi? Evidence against her other than one out 3 suspects pointed to a picture? 7 days incarceration,arraigment, and $250,000 dlls bail on one person saying she did soemthing without any further evidence?
 
I can go on and on.

Sure, if I'm an investigator and a robbery suspect tells me "she was in it", I'd bring her in for questioning, but I'll go through the motions to make sure I'm arresting the right person. For the cops, to the court, bunch of small town buffoons paroding the legal system.

I feel enlightened now. It amazes me the large percentage of genuises that frequent message boards.
 
The shape of the face is different. Other features that are different: most prominent are the nose and the mole; the ears, the eyebrows, forehead, chin.
I'd say they look pretty darn similar. If you have time to look at all those factors, that's amazing.
 
I feel enlightened now. It amazes me the large percentage of genuises that frequent message boards.

If you don't mind, I am going to save this response so I can use it when I have nothing even remotely close to intelligent to post in a reply.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Users who are viewing this thread

    Back
    Top Bottom