Critics of bite mark evidence say Texas could be on the brink of taking a stance that would likely reverberate in courtrooms across the U.S.
The Texas Forensic Science Commission will consider making recommendations Thursday on the reliability of bite mark analysis in criminal cases. At least two dozen men convicted or charged with murder or rape based on bite marks have been exonerated nationwide since 2000.
The state panel can't banish the use of such evidence. But skepticism from the influential commission would likely carry weight in courtrooms.
Peter Bush, a University of Buffalo researcher and leading opponent of bite mark evidence, says other states would likely follow the lead of Texas.
Bite mark evidence supporters argue the practice has helped convict child murders and serial killer Ted Bundy.
The commission will also discuss the case of Steven Mark Chaney, a Dallas man released from prison due to faulty bite mark evidence. Chaney was convicted of a 1987 double murder due in large part to bite marks left on the arm of one of the victims. A forensic dentist testified that the odds the bite marks were not Chaney’s were “one in a million” at trial.
Online: Bite Mark Panel Meeting - 1 p.m. Feb. 11
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NBC 5's Ben Russell contributed to this report.
