Oklahoma County offers DNA review to 111 prison inmates

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma County prosecutors are offering to review biological evidence for 111 convicted murderers and rapists who maintain their innocence. <br><br>Fifteen prison inmates asked for

Tuesday, June 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma County prosecutors are offering to review biological evidence for 111 convicted murderers and rapists who maintain their innocence.

Fifteen prison inmates asked for DNA testing within about a week of receiving letters from the district attorney's office.

District Attorney Wes Lane says prosecutors chose the 111 defendants after reviewing 275 murder and rape convictions decided by jury trial. Defendants who confessed or pleaded guilty did not receive letters.

Most of the cases are at least ten years old, when DNA testing was not available.

The project is a partnership with the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System and is expected to take several months.

The Indigent Defense System has about 50-thousand dollars to pay for these DNA tests.

The money is in addition to about 600-thousand dollars for review of cases handled by former police chemist Joyce Gilchrist.