False Confessions and DNA: A case from Texas

When watching reruns of 48 Hours Investigates this weekend, I came across an episode which had remarkable similarities to the WM3 case (video posted at bottom of post!). In this case, two young men confessed two the heinous murders of four teenage girls. But DNA proved that the confessions were false and the product of police pressure. After nearly 10 years in prison, Robert Springsteen, who had been on death row for the crime, and Robert Scott were released from prison. The charges against them were eventually dropped.

While this in itself is remarkable, what was said during the telecast about false confessions reiterates what we've been hearing about false confessions:

It's still so hard to believe - even when you look at someone in the eye - even when he says that there was so much pressure to confess - it's still hard to understand why a normal guy who's in his mid-20s could be coerced into admitting something that horrific.

"48 Hours" collected sections of defendant Michael Scott’s confessions and showed them to Saul Kassin, distinguished professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Kassin was familiar with the case because he was once contacted by the defense.

Scott: I remember looking at this girl. I hear the gun go off. I only pulled the trigger once… I hear somebody get slapped.

"A good valid confession will look something just like this. But there are many false confessions that are known, proven false confessions, that also look just like this," Kassin explained.

According to Kassin, the problem is what you see on tape is just a fraction of the actual interview.

"You can't tell just by looking," he said.

I asked him, "But why would somebody confess to something they didn't do? What goes on in a person’s mind to say, 'Yeah, I was there. I was thinking this?'"

"One is, the person feels absolutely trapped," Kassin explained.

Detective: At some point, Maurice hands you that revolver. What does he say to you?

"The goal of interrogation, very explicitly, is to increase the anxiety associated with denial," Kassin said.

Detective: Let’s do it now. You went inside with those boys, didn’t you Michael?

"We know you did it. And we don't want to hear any lies," said Kassin.

Watch the episode below.