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Dark Downeast
The Murder of Lyda Jameson (Vermont)
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Lyda Jameson was 73 years old when her son found her lying in bed without a pulse one morning in March of 1976. First responders at the scene believed she died of natural causes… until they noticed signs of a possible homicide. Decades later, DNA evidence led to an arrest, and yet someone has still gotten away with murder.
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Ashley Flowers
There are some cases so infamous that we have all heard about them. But some of the coldest cases, the most mysterious, are the ones that you've never heard of before. I'm Ashley Flowers and every Wednesday on my show the Deck, I dive into the coldest of cold cases. Many of these victims didn't get the press coverage they deserved during the initial investigations, but I'm sharing what our reporting team has found on these stories in hopes that some someone listening may have the information needed to bring answers to light. And that listener could be you. Listen to the Deck now. Wherever you get your podcasts. Dark down east is proudly sponsored by Amica Insurance. The unexpected can happen at any moment, and Amica knows how important it is to be prepared. Whether it's auto, home or life insurance, Amica has you covered. Their dedicated and knowledgeable representatives will work with you to make sure you have the right coverage in place to protect what matters most. You can feel confident that Amica is there for you. Visit ameca.com to get started. Prepare for the crime and investigation event of the new year with the premiere of two groundbreaking new series on A and E. Each week, hit the streets of the Big Easy with a dedicated team of detectives as they search for answers and justice in the gripping new series Homicide Squad New Orleans. Then join an elite Mexican task force in their pursuit of American fugitives hiding south of the border in Fugitive Hunters Mexico. Homicide Squad New Orleans premieres tonight at 9, followed by fugitive hunters Mexico at 10. Part of a crime and investigation event only on A and D. The ins and outs of caring for your home Out Uncertainty Self doubt Stressing about not knowing where to start in Plans and guides that make it easy to get home projects done Out Word art Sorry Live Laugh lovers in knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. Start caring for your home with confidence. Download thumbtack today. Lita Jamison was 73 years old when her son found her lying in bed without a pulse one morning in March of 1976. First responders at the scene believed she died of natural causes until they noticed signs of a possible homicide. Decades later, DNA evidence led to an arrest. And yet someone has still gotten away with murder. I'm Kylie Lowe and this is the case of Lita Jamison on Dark Down East. It was snowing on the morning of Tuesday, March 2, 1976 as Wayne Jamison began his workday. He was the owner of Blanche and Jamison Insurance Agency and a real estate agent in the small border town of Alberg, Vermont. So Wayne was gearing up for the busy season when tourists from Canada began scoping out potential vacation homes on the shores of Lake Champlain. Almost every week, Wayne's name was printed in the Burlington Free Press and other local papers below ads for secluded cottages and rustic lakeside retreats. He was well known in Alberg and greater Vermont for his real estate endeavors and also for his earlier political career in the Vermont House of Representatives. Even without his political titles in business, though, it was hard to remain anonymous in a town of less than 1300 people. And with his mother being a steadfast figure of local education, well, the Jamison legacy ran deep in Alberg and Grand Isle County. Wayne's office on North Main street in Elberg was actually just across the street from the home of his mother, Leta Jamison. According to reporting by Mike Donahue for the Burlington Free Press, Lita had made a 40 year career as a school school teacher. She was known to be pretty strict, but at the end of the day she really just expected a lot out of her pupils and she knew they were capable of it. She'd taught at least two generations of Alberg residents in the public school system over those four decades, but even after retirement in 1970, she couldn't stay away from education altogether. Lita went on to teach religious education classes at St. Amadeus Church, right next door to her home on North Main Street. Leta was independent, involved in her community, and some said appeared much younger than her 73 years. But even an independent young for her age, septuagenarian needs help once in a while, and her son Wayne was there for her. According to Wayne, Leta had recently broken her wrist, and so he was planning to bring his mom some groceries and make sure she was getting along alright. He had tried calling Lita several times over the course of that Tuesday morning, but each of his calls went unanswered. At 1:00 that afternoon, Wayne decided to walk across the street to check in. The house was quiet as he entered. Finding no sign of his mother on the first floor, Wayne made his way upstairs to her bedroom and stepped inside. There she was, lying in her bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin. Wayne called out to her, but she didn't respond or stir at the sound of his voice. When Wayne checked for a pulse, he found none. Wayne reached for his mother's phone, which was inexplicably off the hook, and picked up the receiver. Leslie Corin reports for the Burlington Free Press that wayne didn't call 911 or any other local emergency line. Instead he dialed his office across the street and spoke with one of his employees. He asked her to call Leda's doctor and told her he believed his mother was dead. The employee tried the physician's number a few times, to no avail, so she decided to call an ambulance instead. When first responders arrived at Lita's home, they confirmed she was deceased, and so Wayne asked that his mother be transported to a hospital or a funeral home. But there was protocol to follow before that would happen. This was an unattended death, and no matter how innocuous it at first seemed, Vermont State Police was called to the scene. As reported by Eloise Hedbor for the Burlington Free Press, the assumption was that Leta died of natural causes. There wasn't anything obvious to raise concern that this was anything other than an elderly woman who passed peacefully while asleep in her own bed. However, that assumption was proven false. When state police began a closer examination of the bedroom and of Leta's remains, they realized that beneath the blankets, her nightclothes were partially ripped from her body. Not only that, she had bruises all around her neck. It appeared Leta's death may have been caused by something decidedly unnatural. By the time the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Grand Isle County State's Attorney Michael Caine arrived at Leta's home, more than a dozen people had filtered through the scene. People had even been making calls using the phone that Wayne found off the hook when he first got there, the same one he used to call his office after he found his mother. When asked about the concerning bruising on Leda's neck, Wayne told investigators that it was from a recent fall on the ice. But still, an autopsy was ordered to determine her cause and manner of death. When the findings from the state medical examiner came back, they made clear that Leda's bruises could not have been simply from a fall. The autopsy determined that Leda's cause of death was manual strangulation. This was a homicide. Someone killed her with their own two hands. The medical examiner concluded that there were no clinical signs of sexual assault. But the bruising wasn't the only clue the ME found during the autopsy. Liz Anderson reports for the Rutland Herald. That clutched in Leta's hands and under her fingernails as well as near her neck, armpit and hip, were several strands of hair. The hairs were 15 to 16 inches long and reddish brown in color. At least some of the strands of hair had the follicle intact, though DNA analysis was a long ways off. In 1976, an intact hair follicle meant that the strands of hair could go beyond microscopic examination and potentially be processed for clues like blood type and even race and sex of the person who left those hairs at the scene. Investigators learned Leda was last seen alive by a neighbor who delivered her newspaper around 5pm the night before her body was discovered. So with that and the condition of her remains, the medical examiner estimated Leda's time of death to be sometime between midnight and 9am on March 2. Later, the time frame was narrowed to a two to three hour window between 5am and 7 or 8am on March 2nd. Leta Jamison's murder was believed to be the first homicide in Alberg's recorded history, perhaps even in the history of greater Grand Isle County. The tragedy of her violent death sent the otherwise quiet community into a spiral of fear. Vermont State Police set up a temporary investigation headquarters in the town clerk's office as they began to scour Lita's house and the town for clues. The trouble was, Leta's house and any evidence that might have been there had already been disturbed before anyone realized that they were dealing with a homicide. With so many people traipsing through the house before the Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrived, any fingerprints or other evidence was likely already contaminated. The only fingerprints police identified at the scene belonged to Lita herself and her son Wayne. With the exception of her telephone being off the hook, nothing seemed out of place in Lita's house or bedroom. There were no signs of a struggle and no broken windows or doors forced open. Lita kept a spare key hidden, but only a few people other than Leta and her son Wayne would have known where it was. But even though Lita kept her house locked up tight, according to reporting in the Times Argus, there was a door lock that didn't always latch properly and it could have been jiggled loose without detection. So it was possible that the door with the faulty lock was a point of entry. The theory among investigators after their assessment of the scene was that whoever killed Leda could have entered and escaped through the back door, crossing through her backyard and into a field that stretched out behind the house. If this was the true point of entry, then it meant to police that the killer was familiar with the house and its surroundings. Meanwhile, interviews with family, friends and neighbors were underway to develop any leads. Investigators learned that Leda had recently witnessed a break in and burglary at the St. Amadeus Church next door. The suspects made off with a $150pa system and Lita had given details to police about the getaway car. Although it was something to consider, maybe the thieves came back to silence the witness, police told reporters for the Times Argus. It was one of the least promising of all the potential motives they were investigating. Another lead had Vermont officials looking into a separate but similar homicide case across state borders in New Hampshire. The victim was 74 year old Madeleine Kraus, also a schoolteacher like Leta, and she was also strangled to death in her Nashua apartment either February 27th or 28th, just a few days before Lita's murder. The parallels were worth some scrutiny, but police were saying they had no evidence of a connection. However, within the first days of the investigation, police had discovered a lead that was much more promising. There had been a party in town on the night of the murder and one of the partygoers was allegedly unaccounted for during a critical window of time that night make this New year a milestone in your child's education with IXL IXL uses advanced algorithms to personalize your child's learning experience, ensuring they receive the right support at the right time, with subjects spanning from counting and ABCs to advanced high school topics like calculus and SAT prep. One subscription covers all your children's educational needs and saves you time by providing organized resources all in one place. My toddler still has some time before she's diving into calculus, but we're working on pre K level math right now and my goodness, the pride in her eyes when she successfully identifies a number by site is unmatched. I will never be tired of watching her learn new things with IXL make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and Dark down east listeners can get an exclusive 20% off an IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com downeast visit ixl.com downeast to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Even those that embrace the chilly weather need something to break up long winter nights. Treat yourself to a little something without spending a fortune with quints. All quint's items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands because they partner directly with top factories and cut out the cost of the middleman passing the savings on to you. And of course they use premium fabrics and finishes for that luxury feel in every piece. Now this season requires the uniform, and the uniform is a cozy oversized sweater and leggings and cozy socks. And what does Quint have? All of the above. My Closet is like 85% Quint and like the other 15% is audio Chuck Crime Junkie all our merch. No matter what I need, no matter what the occasion, Quint's is where I go first. Treat yourself this winter without the luxury price tag. Go to quint.com downeast for 365 day returns plus free shipping on your order. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com downeast to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com downeast the party had started at the American Legion hall on the night of March 1st when the bar there closed down. The party reconvened at someone's house to keep the hang going into the early hours of March 2. A witness described the party as a bunch of drinking buddies just hanging out. Several of those buddies spoke with police about their whereabouts on the night of the murder, including a local resident named Michael Fenning. Michael told police that he'd been at the party all night, starting at the American Legion and then moving to someone's house around 2am he said he left around 3am and went straight home, making it back to his place by 3:30am the latest. However, as questioning of Michael's friends and the other people at the party that night continued, holes were poked in his version of events. For one, Michael's roommate said that Michael actually didn't get home until around 5:30 in the morning, and when he left the party, Michael drove off behind the wheel of someone else's car. He ended up crashing that car into a ditch and continuing the rest of the way back to his apartment on foot. When police traced his route that night from the house party to the ditch where he crashed the car and onto his apartment, they realized that he would have passed right by Leta's house. And if what his roommate said was true about the time Michael got home, then that would put him in the vicinity of Lita's home within the same window of her estimated time of death. Michael was among 24 people who gave hair samples for comparison to the hairs found at the scene of the murder. He also submitted to a polygraph test and reportedly passed, but police were unable to rule him out as a suspect in Lita's death. Photos of Michael from that year show that he had a beard and long hair, which he wore in a ponytail. And after microscopic examination of the foreign hairs recovered from Lita's body and the samples given by Michael, investigators determined that that there were notable similarities between the two. The other hairs compared to the evidence, did not share the same characteristics, so it was possible that Michael Fenning's hair was found in Leta's hands and on her body. It was also possible that he was near or around the scene at the estimated time of the murder. He also didn't have an alibi after he left the party. But as compelling as it all was, the Grand Isle county state's attorney wasn't confident the evidence was strong enough to bring an arrest and convince a jury that Michael Fenning killed Leta Jamison. For one, no obvious motive was jumping out at investigators. A motive isn't a necessary part of prosecuting a suspect for murder, but it doesn't hurt to have an understanding of what may have driven someone to strangle the life out of another human being in their own home. The only perceived connection between Michael and Leda was that, like many of the locals, Mrs. Jamison was once his teacher in the Alberg school system. Another local resident had made an insensitive remark in a Boston Globe piece by Maria Caragianis about Leda being strict with her students and quote, probably one time or another, every kid in town would have liked to choke her, end quote. But that was hardly given any weight as a realistic motive for anyone to take her life. The investigation pressed forward, though without much in the way of developments. In June of 1976, a secret inquest was held with the intent of compelling certain witnesses to give statements and generate new information. But the effort didn't lead to any arrests. By that point, investigators had conducted over 200 interviews and administered several lie detector tests. But the case had stalled out for no single discernible reason. Debra Wiener reports for the Burlington Free Press that given Alberg's location, with its proximity to the Canadian and New York borders, there was a vast area to search for leads and suspects. Another issue potentially holding the case up was the fact that no weapon was used, there were no witnesses, and neighbors hadn't reported hearing any. Concerning noises. Vermont State Police Corporal Bruce Lehue described the difficulties of the investigation like this, quote, strangulation is a silent homicide, and everybody carries a pair of hands. Put the facts together and there isn't much to go on. A young person and there are triangle possibilities. An older woman, and it's a sticky situation, end quote. Lita's case grew colder in tandem with the northern Vermont weather. In January of 1977, with the anniversary of her death just a few months ahead and no sign of an arrest coming soon, her son Wayne footed the bill for an out of state psychic to aid investigators in his mother's case. New Jersey psychic Joan Durham was known for assisting law enforcement in many high profile criminal investigations. Later in life, she and her daughter, who discovered she inherited her mother's clairvoyance, would be credited with helping to identify Joseph Augustus Zarrilli, previously only known as the Boy in the Box. Joan apparently impressed State's Attorney Kane with what she was able to tell him about his past. Things that she wouldn't have known otherwise. When it came to the case of Leta Jamison, the only public details of Joan's predictions states that she believed information would come to light in Leta's case during the course of a different investigation and the information would lead to an arrest. Until that prediction and anything else Joan might have told law enforcement about Leta's murder proved true, the case was stuck right where it had been for months. Some of the weaker leads once considered were crossed off the list, like the robbery at the church that Lita had witnessed. Those suspects were apprehended and deemed to have no connection to her killing. The murder of the other elderly schoolteacher in New Hampshire was still under investigation. And though it doesn't appear that angle was ruled out altogether, nothing in the source material leads me to believe that it was ever conclusively connected to Leta's murder. Michael Fenning remained on the list of suspects, but until further evidence connected him or anyone else, Leta's murder was left to freeze over. In 1978, newly appointed Grand Isle State's Attorney Edward Cashman made it a top priority to reopen Lita Jamison's case. Though he was cautious in his assessment of the investigation, Cashman explained that the evidence in the case was largely circumstantial, making it difficult to move forward with the prosecution. But the hope was to bring it to a grand jury and secure an indictment. In the midst of Cashman's review of the case, a second murder rocked the region. In November of 1978, Ann Blanche Mitchell, a 45 year old woman from Highgate center, was found dead down an embankment off Vermont Route 78 near Mud Creek in Alberg. Early reports suggested that Ann had died from a shotgun blast, but these were later corrected. She had been brutally beaten to death. Some speculated whether this murder might have been that other investigation that the psychic Joan Durham was talking about, the one that she predicted would lead to developments in Leda's case. But if it was, despite the best efforts of law enforcement and the new State's attorney to drum up new information in Leta's case, they were unable to take it to a grand jury. The Largely circumstantial evidence simply wasn't strong enough, leaving the case in limbo once again. The case wasn't entirely circumstantial, though. There was some physical evidence, namely the strands of hair that showed microscopic similarities to one of the top suspects for Leta's murder. Those hairs had been preserved and stored, just waiting for the day that science would catch up. In 1991, 15 years after Lita Jameson was killed, a new detective was assigned to her case. Detective Sergeant Ralph Chilton set to work examining the case file and re interviewing witnesses, even hopping a plane to track down out of state individuals who spoke with police a decade and a half earlier. Interestingly, some of the witnesses with many years and in some cases hundreds of miles between them and the small town of Alberg, had new information to offer the case. They disclosed things they'd never revealed before. It was a slow and steady grind, getting the wheels turning again in a long stagnant case, all while balancing the day to day caseload that often plucked Detective Sergeant Chilton's focus from Lita's file to more active investigations. But then, in 1994, Vermont State Police were met with a bit of a reprieve. That year saw a lower than average homicide rate, which reportedly freed up investigators to make some progress in the cold case backlog. Leda's was one of those cases. That year, Detective Sergeant Chilton retrieved the hair samples collected from Leda's body from the evidence locker where they'd been stored now for nearly two decades. He sent them off for DNA analysis at a lab called Cellmark Diagnostics, which had made a name for itself in forensic science and criminal investigations in the few short years since its founding in 1987. It would go on to be the lab that tested evidence for the O.J. simpson case and many other notable cases down the road. With the follicle still intact on the long strands of reddish brown hair collected from Leda's body, Selmark Diagnostics was able to utilize PCR testing in an attempt to develop a DNA profile. Pcr, or polymerase chain reaction, is a method used to amplify small amounts of DNA, making it ideal for testing tiny or degraded samples like a single hair root. In the 90s, PCR analysis was still a new and developing method for DNA profiling, but it was proving to be faster, more sensitive and highly effective for forensic identification compared to older techniques. So Cellmark Diagnostics went to work and the chemists were able to develop a DNA profile of the contributor of the hair. The DNA profile could now be compared to potential suspects in the case. And that's when two plainclothes officers showed up at Michael Fenning's doorstep. In all the years since he was questioned in connection with Leta's murder, Michael never left Alberg. He worked in town, he frequented the local establishments, and he never tried to run from the suspicion over him that began brewing in the first days of the investigation. But Michael knew that this time when police came knocking, his life was about to change. As he put it in an interview with Leslie Corin for the Burlington Free Press, quote, that is when I found out I was about to go through hell. End quote. Detective Sergeant Chilton tried to get a blood sample from Michael Fenning by way of court order, but Michael and his public defenders fought this. Ultimately, investigators were able to collect a cheek swab from the suspect in December of 1994. When Michael's DNA profile from the cheek swab was compared with the profile developed from the strand of hair, it was a match 1 in 3.5 million odds. That number means that the likelihood of randomly selecting an unrelated person from the general population who would have the same DNA profile as the hair found on Leta's body is extremely low. In other words, the DNA match between the hair and the suspect is highly specific and unlikely to occur by chance, making it very strong evidence that Michael could be the source of the hair. Despite the match, Michael Fenning wasn't arrested immediately. The investigation continued to strengthen the other elements of the case, but Michael was put on notice, the clock started ticking and about two years later, time was up. 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Dark down east listeners can take advantage of Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off, visit rosettastone.com downeast that's 50% off unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your life@rosettastone.com downeast today On Monday morning, April 15, 1996, Vermont State Police in an unmarked car followed Michael Fenning as he drove to pick up his coffee and a newspaper. He was arrested without incident soon after and charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of Lita Jamison. After 20 years, the circumstantial evidence paired with the new DNA findings finally built a strong enough case to bring a suspect into custody. Michael's timeline, inconsistencies, his proximity to the scene on the night of the murder, and not least of all, the DNA analysis that identified his hair on Lita's body, all seem to point to Michael Fenning. But alberg locals just couldn't believe that this quiet, reserved man who lived in town nearly his whole life, could possibly be a killer. Michael entered a plea of not guilty. As he awaited trial, the state offered him more than one plea agreement. Say he killed Leda and he'd serve minimal time. But Michael rejected each one of the deals he was offered. He simply could not confess to something, especially such a heinous murder that he claimed he did not commit. Not even an offer of less than three years in jail could sway him. Michael put his faith in the justice system and his fate in the hands of the jury. If he was found guilty, Michael could receive a life sentence. The trial of Michael Fenning began on Thursday, May 11, 2000, in North Hero, Vermont. The evidence that the state presented to the jury against Michael Fenning centered on DNA analysis. The timeline inconsistencies and his perceived suspicious behavior during the early morning hours when Lita Jamison was murdered. The jury heard that Michael had been a suspect early in the investigation after microscopic analysis of the hair strands found in Leta's hands showed similarities to a hair sample Michael gave in the first days of the investigation. Expert witnesses in DNA analysis and scientists testified that the same hair found in Leda's hands was a match to Michael's DNA linking him to the scene two decades later. Prosecutors called witnesses who showed that Michael's account of the night of the murder did not align with what other partygoers remembered. Michael had claimed he left the party at 3am and arrived home by 3:30. But his roommate reported that he got home around 5:30am placing him near Lita's house during the estimated time of her death. Witnesses also testified that Michael had taken a car from the party and crashed the vehicle into a ditch, further raising suspicions. Despite this compounding evidence against the man on trial, his team of public defenders were equipped with a defense that they believed would conjure significant reasonable doubt in the case. The defense suggested that there was someone else more likely to have killed Leda. Unlike Michael, they argued this person had motive, and evidence at the scene of Leda's murder suggested this person was even there. Who was this alleged alternate suspect? None other than Wayne Jamison, Leta Jamison's own son. The defense's theory went like this. The day before the murder, March 1, 1976, was town meeting day in many towns across Vermont, including the town of Alberg. The town meeting is a gathering of citizens and town officials to discuss issues pertaining to the town, like the budget and other matters. It's not clear if Lita attended the meeting, but there was an item on the agenda that would have been relevant to her and Tuane. The minutes from the March 1, 1976 Alberg Town Meeting state that there was much discussion about what to do with property owners who were in arrears on their taxes. The delinquent taxpayer statement printed in the town's annual report for that year lists dozens of property owners and businesses who owe sums from just a few dollars up to several thousand dollars. One such delinquent taxpayer was Aqua Terra Corp. Which owed the town of Alberg back taxes to the tune of $5,742.49. Today, that's nearly $32,000 if adjusted for inflation. Now, Lita's son Wayne was one of, if not the primary investor in the Aqua Terra Corp. Land development project. According to the defense, his mother Leda had invested some money, too, perhaps after persuasion by her son. If the back taxes were any indication of the project's health, though, it wasn't going well. Michael's defense attorneys presented to the jury evidence that Leta and Wayne were out around $50,000 from the failed project. During the discussion of the delinquent taxes at that town meeting, officers considered options for putting pressure on taxpayers through their mortgage companies and possibly holding tax sales, which could potentially mean the owners would have liens placed on their properties or have the land and buildings sold out from under them. For a figure in local real estate like Wayne, this could arguably be the cause of some financial stress. And as the defense argued, it may have been the motive for him to kill his own mother for financial gain. Beyond this sticky situation with the failed development project, the defense suggested that Wayne couldn't be ruled out as a suspect. His residence was technically an hour away in South Burlington. But Wayne was estranged from his wife, and no one could account for his whereabouts between 11pm on March 1 and 6 or 7am on March 2, a time frame that covered the estimated window of Lita's murder. What's more, Wayne knew how to get into his mother's home, and his fingerprints were found at the scene. Though it is easy to argue that those prints were there because he frequently visited his mother and was the one who found her. And he used her phone that morning, something he did not deny. Wayne Jameson actually took the stand at Michael Fenning's trial, but he kept his testimony to what he said in his original statement more than 20 years earlier. When asked about specifics of the night before and day of finding his mother's lifeless body in her bed, he said he could not remember the details. When asked point blank if he killed his mother, Wayne said no. As for the DNA evidence against Michael Fenning, his defense attorneys hoped that the jury would doubt the reliability of the testing and argued that just because his hair was there doesn't mean he killed Leda or even that he was ever at the house. And when it came down to it, the defense argued, there was just no obvious motive for Michael to take Lita's life. Michael's trial lasted almost three weeks, but the jury finally began deliberations on Tuesday, May 30, 2000. While working to reach a verdict, the jury asked for two things. They wanted to know Wayne Jamison's height and weight, perhaps trying to fully consider him as an alleged alternate suspect for the murder. But that information had not been part of the testimony, and so the jury wasn't permitted to know it. The members of the jury also asked if Michael's roommate's testimony could be read back to them again. He was the person who said Michael didn't arrive home until 5:30am versus Michael's version of events, which had him home at 3:30am the time difference was critical given Lita's estimated time of death. After over 14 hours of deliberations over two days, on May 31, 2000, the jury returned with their verdict. Michael Fenning not guilty. The state hadn't made a strong enough case to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. And so a man under suspicion for murder for over 20 years was acquitted of all charges. Michael Fenning left the courtroom with tears streaming down his face and he told reporters waiting outside that it felt good to be vindicated, though it was bittersweet. Michael's father passed away during the course of the trial and he never got the relief of knowing his son was not a killer. Or at least that the jury did not find him guilty of murder charges. There is a significant difference between a jury finding a suspect not guilty and a declaration of actual innocence. When a jury delivers a not guilty verdict, it means that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that that the suspect committed the crime. It doesn't always mean the jury believes the suspect is innocent, only that the evidence presented wasn't strong enough to meet the high legal standard required for a conviction. Actual innocence, on the other hand, means that the person truly did not commit the crime. And in many cases, that there's affirmative evidence proving they were not involved. A not guilty verdict in Michael Fenning's murder trial leaves open the possibility that he could have been involved. And after Michael Fenning's acquittal, some people still held fast to the belief that he was the right suspect on trial for the right charges. The strands of hair found on Lita's body will forever raise questions. Were they really Michael's hair? Was the testing faulty or was the evidence contaminated in some way? If they really were Michael's hair, how did they get there if he wasn't physically in her room strangling her to death? With all those people in and around the scene before BCI got there, is it possible the hairs were on one of those people and transferred to her body in the midst of those questions? Others felt that the not guilty verdict revealed the truth that Michael didn't want do it and someone else was responsible for her death. Michael remained in Albert and picked up the pieces of his life in an extensive interview with Leslie Coren for the Burlington Free Press following his acquittal, Michael talked about the loneliness he felt during and after the trial, the difficulty of getting a job, of dating, of proceeding as normal when he was once a man accused of murder. Still, he said, he tries to appreciate life and the things he enjoys riding motorcycles, hunting, photography. With his freedom ahead of him, Michael hoped to visit Alaska someday and maybe even fall in love at the end of it all. No matter what anyone believes about this case, Michael can never be charged with the murder of Lita Jamison again. The conclusion to the trial left lingering doubts and questions about who really could committed the crime. The defense raised a compelling theory that Wayne Jameson, the son of the victim, was the true killer. To be clear, Wayne has never been charged with any crimes in connection to Lita Jameson's death. He has denied any involvement in the crime. A few years after the murder, Wayne left Alberg in Vermont altogether. He moved to Texas, remarried, and started a new life away from the place that held the memory and the truth about what happened to his mother. Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this case@darkdowneast.com Be sure to follow the show on Instagram arkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe and this is Dark Down East. Dark down east is a production of Kylie Media and Audio Check. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve? Prepare for the Crime and Investigation event of the new year with the premiere of two groundbreaking new series on A and E. Each week, hit the streets of the Big Easy with a dedicated team of detectives as they search for answers and justice in the gripping new series Homicide Squad New Orleans. Then join an elite Mexican task force in their pursuit of American fugitives hiding south of the border in Fugitive Hunters Mexico. Homicide Squad New Orleans premieres tonight at 9, followed by fugitive hunters Mexico at 10. Part of a crime and investigation event only on A and E. Hey, Dark Down Easters, it's Kylie. And if you're like me, you're looking to add some new podcasts to your list of existing favorites like Dark Down East. This new year, Audio Chuck has you covered all year long with a full lineup of incredible, incredible shows and new episodes, dropping every single weekday. From unraveling mysteries to insider perceptions on investigations. There's something for everyone. I personally start every Tuesday morning, off with my friend and fellow Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra and her show Park Predators, learning all about cases that occurred in some of the most beautiful locations around the globe. Explore all the shows that audiochuck has to offer and find some new podcasts to add to your routine this year by searching audiocheck. That's a u d I o c h u c k Wherever you're listening, trust me, you won't run out of amazing stories to dive into.