Murder of Kasandra Shepherd

Who is Murder of Kasandra Shepherd?

Kasandra Shepherd was a three-year-old girl, who was allegedly killed by her stepmother Maria Shepherd in 1991, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. This case was part of a review by the Goudge Inquiry, which involves the work of pathologist Charles Smith. The Goudge Inquiry found there to be fundamental errors made my Smith as there have been in many of the cases in which he testified.

Maria Shepherd's case was studied by additional experts and Helen Whitwell, a forensic pathologist for Britain's Home Office who reviewed the case, said Smith's "overlay" technique was "complete nonsense". "Dr. Michael Pollanen, Ontario's Chief Forensic Pathologist, called Dr. Smith's wound-weapon matching analysis "pseudoscientific" and "outside the mainstream" of forensic pathology."

On 12 May 2009, Maria Shepherd appeared before the Ontario Court of Appeal, accompanied by her legal counsel James Lockyer, to request that the court allow her to appeal the conviction owing to the flawed testimony of Smith. She was granted permission to file her appeal, in a fight to clear her name, and the case will likely be heard in late 2009 or during 2010.