On August 18, 1974, a 19 year old woman was found raped and beaten to death in Tampa, FL. Police focused on 18 year old Robert DuBoise who allegedly “caused problems” in the area. Dr. Richard Souviron, a forensic odontologist, matched Robert’s teeth to a supposed bite mark on the victim’s cheek using bite mark analysis techniques that have since been discredited. Based on the supposed dental match, Robert was ultimately sentenced to death. Gilbert King is the writer and host of the Lava For Good podcast, Bone Valley. He is also a New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winning author of the book Devil in the Grove. Gilbert has written about race, civil rights, and the death penalty for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Marshall Project. While in Florida working on the Lava for Good podcast Bone Valley, Gilbert learned of Robert’s exoneration, which moved and inspired Gilbert to continue the fight for other innocent individuals. Robert and Leo Schofield, the subject of Bone Valley, were incarcerated together in the same Florida facility. In this episode, Gilbert and Robert connect over their ties to the Tampa area and the Florida criminal justice system. To learn more about the junk science of bite mark evidence, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/145-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-bite-mark-evidence/
If Robert is still fighting for justice, your voice matters. Consider sharing this case on social media, signing any active petitions, or contacting your representatives about wrongful conviction reform.
The Wrongful Conviction podcast, hosted by Jason Flom and Khaliah Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali), has featured over 500 cases of men and women who spent years — sometimes decades — in prison for crimes they did not commit. The podcast has been downloaded over 70 million times and has directly influenced exonerations, clemencies, and criminal justice reform legislation across the country.