Judge nears ruling in Slover murder case

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The fight over DNA in a Macon County courtroom in a decades-old murder case is one step away from a ruling.

The Exoneration Project is working alongside the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) in an effort to exonerate members of the Slover family, who were convicted in 2002 of killing Hearn Slover in 1996. Michael Slover, Jeanette Slover and Michael Slover Jr. were all found guilty of murder.

In early June, the Illinois Innocence Project filed a motion asking the Illinois State Police (ISP) to submit DNA profiles into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in hopes of identifying the true killer or killers of Karyn Hearn Slover.

According to IIP's filing, forensic testing revealed three separate DNA profiles on key pieces of evidence. Two profiles were found on duct tape used to seal bags containing Karyn's remains, and another profile was discovered on fingerprints located next to a stain of Karyn's blood on the Lake Shelbyville bridge.

Although IIP has repeatedly asked the court to order ISP to submit the DNA samples, ISP has declined to do so for several years. ISP has maintained its reason for not submitting the profiles is that it does not know how or by whom the evidence was handled, and that the DNA samples did not originate from a law enforcement agency.

Nearly a month ago, IIP called three witnesses to the stand. These witnesses individually detailed the steps they took when handling or analyzing the DNA.

During Friday's hearing, the Illinois Attorney General's Office, which is representing ISP in the matter, called Amanda Humke, the CODIS administrator in Springfield. She told the court she had concerns about the handling and storage of the evidence during the trial and after the trial.

"The question is how evidence was stored after the trial," she testified.

Humke did tell the court that the evidence IIP submitted does qualify for a keyboard search, which is a 1 time search, but it doesn't qualify for it to be fully stored in CODIS. Also, that keyboard search would be done for DNA profiles stored in Illinois.

The Slover legal team latched onto that statement and, in the closing arguments, told the court that at least it should grant the keyboard search. The Illinois Attorney General's Office argued that because of the handling of the evidence, it shouldn't be entered into the system at all.

Former Macon County State's Attorney Jay Scott, who returned from retirement to represent the prosecution, has also filed motions seeking to dismiss the case entirely. Scott has consistently maintained that the Slover family is responsible for Karyn's 1996 death.

Michael Jr. was also present during Friday's hearing.

Next, Judge Rodney Forbes will make a ruling, which could be decided by the end of March.