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Michigan man's bid to overturn murder convictions halted

Posted at 1:28 PM, Jun 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-28 13:28:51-04

A Michigan man has lost his effort to reverse his murder and sexual assault convictions from the 1980s.

The Lansing State Journal reports that 54-year-old Michael Harris is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in the 1981 killing of 77-year-old Ula Curdy. He is also serving life sentences in the deaths of three other Michigan women in 1981 and 1982.

DNA that didn't match Harris was found on Curdy's girdle in 2015. The evidence could've led to a new trial for Harris. But on Tuesday, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge denied the request for an evidentiary hearing after prosecutors said recent DNA testing found at the crime scene matched Harris.

Harris says he's innocent and that the Michigan State Crime lab falsified DNA evidence.