After viewing the ABC New Nightline report, and reading the New Yorker article on Cameron Todd Willingham, answer the following questions:
- What evidence did prosecutors use at trial to secure their conviction against Willingham?
- What is the counter-arguments presented in support of Willingham’s innocence?
- What, if any, errors or inappropriate ideologies were used during the investigation?
- DNA is an example of a recent discovery in the science of criminal justice. How should past convictions be handled when new scientific methods emerge to analyze evidence?
- How does the profession of Fire Investigation look when its methods are applied inappropriately?
- How can investigators ensure their conclusions are objective and scientifically sound?