Russell Maze was sentenced to life in prison in Tennessee in 2004 after his newborn son died. At the time, prosecutors in Nashville proved their case of shaken baby syndrome, with doctors testifying that the infant surely died from abuse. Since then, a "growing body of research has demonstrated that the triad of symptoms doctors traditionally used to diagnose the syndrome—brain swelling and bleeding around the brain and behind the eyes— are not necessarily produced by shaking," writes Pamela Colloff at ProPublica. As laid out in the investigative piece, Maze's case seems like a textbook example of that. So much so that the local DA's conviction-review unit took up the case and is now fighting to free Maze. It's not going well, however.
"The state got this wrong," assistant DA Sunny Eaton argued at a hearing earlier this year before the same judge who presided over the original trial. During the hearing itself, the court heard from seven experts who testified that baby Alex died from natural causes, not physical abuse. Judge Steve Dozier, however, was unswayed. "The court does not find an injustice nor that the petitioner is actually innocent based on new scientific evidence," he ruled. Eaton says one of her big regrets is building up the hopes of Maze, who is now 58, and his wife, Kaye, who has insisted on his innocence all these years. Their fight continues in the courts. The story explores not only the details of the case but the continuing controversy over shaken baby syndrome, as well as the challenges facing conviction-review units across the US. Read it in full here. (Or read other longform recaps.)
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