Perfect 15 for 15 Record Crumbles as Innocence Clinics Uncover Fatal Mistakes

*KALAMAZOO, MI* — A Kalamazoo County cold case team that boasted a flawless 15 for 15 conviction rate in the early 2000s has been exposed as the source of at least two wrongful convictions, setting off a cascade of investigations into the integrity of the team's work and raising urgent questions about whether more innocent people are still serving time for crimes they didn't commit.

Jeff Titus, who spent 21 years in prison for a 1990 double murder, was finally exonerated and released in February 2023 after an exhaustive legal battle. But his freedom came with a startling revelation: the cold case team that convicted him got it wrong.

"That cold case team was 15 for 15 in getting convictions among the cases it considered in the early 2000s. Was Titus' case the only one it got wrong? That's a question the investigative true crime podcast, Proof, has been digging into during its current season," said Ryan Boldrey in his report for MLive.

Scott Baldwin: The Case That Couldn't Wait

Perhaps the most heartbreaking chapter in this saga is the case of Scott Baldwin, a young man who was 19 when his former boss, 83-year-old Earl O'Byrne, was murdered at the Kalamazoo Cycle Company on Harrison Street in 1988.

Baldwin was arrested by the same cold case team in 2001 and convicted the following year. Like Titus, he maintained his innocence throughout.

"Convicted based on testimony of an ex-girlfriend, and with no physical evidence tying him to the scene, Baldwin spent years attempting to appeal the jury's verdict," Boldrey reported.

The case was riddled with red flags that appellate attorneys couldn't ignore. DNA at the murder scene didn't belong to Baldwin. Key witness testimony changed over time. And there were silent observer tips not shared by the prosecution during initial trial discovery that suggested another suspect may have been responsible.

"The fact that so many programs have looked at (and taken up) Scott's case, it's definitely a sign that this case smelled bad," said Olivia Vigiletti, clinical fellow at the Michigan Innocence Clinic. "Scott had to go through all our screening processes and all of us agreed that the case didn't add up. It certainly is indicative of what I believe, and that is that Mr. Baldwin is innocent."

Baldwin was resentenced as a juvenile lifer in 2025 and released from prison in October 2025. But he died of cancer within days of his release.

"The first thing I knew about Scott's case was that he was very, very sick and dying," said Claire Ward, who represented Baldwin on behalf of the state appellate defender's office at the time of his release. "The second thing I knew about Scott's case was that he had quite a strong innocence claim that was likely not going to be able to fully litigated in his lifetime."

The only hope for posthumous exoneration would have been through a governor's pardon, but with Baldwin now deceased, that door has closed. Vigiletti's office is no longer working on his case.

The Michigan Innocence Clinic Takes on Multiple Cases

The Michigan Innocence Clinic, which has won relief in 45 cases on behalf of wrongfully convicted defendants since its inception in 2009, has represented three other clients who were convicted after arrests by the Kalamazoo County cold case team. More are in the queue to be taken on, said Vigiletti.

One of the cases the clinic is currently handling involves Jerome "Joe" Williams, one of five people found guilty in the August 2000 triple murder of the Polderman family: Sary Polderman, 93, Marinus Polderman, 93, and Anna Gipson, 63.

Like Baldwin, Williams and the others were found guilty years after the incident. Also like Baldwin, DNA from the murder scene didn't match any of the defendants. Furthermore, a lone set of boot prints found in blood at the scene didn't match the foot size of any of the defendants.

"That case is one of many from Kalamazoo County that we dig into as part of our investigation," said Kevin Fitzpatrick, executive producer of the Proof podcast.

Detectives Split on Innocence Claims

One former Kalamazoo County sheriff's detective, Rich Mattison, spoke out when the podcasters teamed up on Titus' case. Mattison said he was removed from the case because he thought Titus was innocent.

Mattison stands firm in his belief that there are other cases the team got wrong. One of those, he said, is Preston Lard Jr., who took a manslaughter plea and seven-year sentence to avoid trial for a 1994 murder.

Lard was accused of killing his ex-brother-in-law Clarence Gould. He eventually took a plea for manslaughter and served seven years in prison. At least one cold case detective that investigated the case believes Lard was innocent.

"It's not unusual for someone to take a plea like Lard did, despite being innocent," said Susan Simpson, former defense attorney who worked on Titus' case. "He got a great deal, seven years versus the possible life sentence he could have gotten if he'd gone to trial."

Team Stands by Its Methods

Former Kalamazoo Public Safety Sgt. Mike Werkema, who headed up the cold case team, stood by the team's methods. Werkema, who currently has civil action filed against him by Titus, declined an opportunity to speak on the podcast.

The Proof Podcast's Investigation

The 12-episode season "Murder at the Bike Shop" launched earlier this year and has been uncovering these cold cases one by one. By opening a number of these cases up, interviewing suspects, family members, attorneys and detectives involved, the Proof team hopes to change how people view wrongful convictions.

"One of the hard things about wrongful conviction is everyone loves the story on the day someone is getting out of prison, but no one really cares about it until that point," said Jacinda Davis, co-producer of Proof. "By opening a number of these cases up, interviewing suspects, family members, attorneys and detectives involved, the Proof team hopes to change that."

The clinic has won relief in 45 cases on behalf of wrongfully convicted defendants since its inception in 2009. The Cooley Innocence Project and the Wisconsin Innocence Project all handled Baldwin's case at different times.

What's Next for the Victims?

For Jerome Williams and the others convicted in the Polderman family murders, the only path to exoneration would be through a governor's pardon. The clinic's attorneys are working to prove their innocence, but with no physical evidence tying them to the crime and DNA that doesn't match, the case remains challenging.

The clinic is screening additional cases that may have been handled by the cold case team. More defendants are in the queue to be taken on as the clinic digs deeper into these potentially wrongful convictions.

"We aren't done with this," said Vigiletti. "There are more cases that need to be looked at. The cold case team's perfect record is just the beginning of understanding how many innocent people may be behind bars because of their work."

The Road to Justice

As Titus walks free and Baldwin's family seeks posthumous justice, the Kalamazoo County cold case team's legacy of wrongful convictions continues to cast a long shadow over the region. The Michigan Innocence Clinic and its partners are working tirelessly to ensure that no other innocent person suffers the same fate, but the work is far from over.

The Proof podcast continues to investigate, and the clinic continues to take on new cases. For now, Titus and Baldwin remain the only two known wrongful convictions from the cold case team's early 2000s caseload, but the clinic's perfect record of 15 for 15 may have been the least of their problems.

Sources:

  • Did a Kalamazoo cold case team prioritize closing cases over objective truth? - MLive.com — https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/04/did-a-kalamazoo-cold-case-team-prioritize-closing-cases-over-objective-truth.html