Texas v. Sonia Cacy—More Trouble in Texas

The chapter recounts the case of Sonia Cacy, wrongfully convicted of murdering her uncle Bill Richardson in a house fire in 1991. The conviction was based on flawed forensic evidence, particularly a misidentification of gasoline on the victim's clothing. Cacy was sentenced to 55 years, later increased to 99 years after a second sentencing hearing. Dr. Gerald Hurst's involvement led to Cacy's parole in 1998, but she remained a convicted murderer. Multiple experts, including the author, reviewed the evidence and found no trace of gasoline. In 2010, the Innocence Project of Texas took up her case. The Texas State Fire Marshal's Science Advisory Workgroup (SAW) concluded in 2013 that the arson determination was unsupportable. An evidentiary hearing in 2014 led to Judge Burt Richardson recommending Cacy's exoneration in 2016, citing false testimony, newly available scientific evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, and a Brady violation. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed, granting Cacy a certificate of actual innocence 25 years after the accidental fire. The case highlights the devastating impact of flawed forensic science and the importance of expert review in arson cases, and the value of state-level judicial avenues for confirming exonerations in otherwise seemingly closed cases.