Henry Harmon, Appellant v. State of Arkansas, Appellee

Summary

The court held that the circuit court abused its discretion by excluding DNA-mixture evidence showing that more than one person contributed DNA to clothing found near the getaway vehicle. The evidence directly challenged the State’s DNA evidence, corroborated Harmon’s defense that a specific third party had used his vehicle, and was sufficiently probative without creating undue confusion or misleading the jury. The judgment was reversed and remanded, and the court of appeals’ opinion was vacated. Justice Danielson, joined by the Chief Justice and Justice Corbin, dissented, concluding that the evidence did not directly connect any third party to the crimes.