Iowa State Penitentiary V. Williams
Case Citation: Nix, Warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary v. Williams, 467 U.S. 431, 104 S. Ct. 2501 (1984)
Parties: Nix, Warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary/Petitioner Williams/Respondent
Facts: On 24 December 1968, in Des Moines, Iowa, a ten year-old little girl by the name of Pamela Powers, went missing while she was accompanying her parents to watch an athletic event at the local YMCA. An individual, later identified as Williams, was witnessed by an unknown 14 year-old boy carrying a bundle of blankets to his car, which had two white and skinny legs protruding out of it. In Grinnell, Iowa, at a rest stop on Interstate 80, clothing items of Pamela Powers were identified, along with some of Williams’ clothing, and the blanket that was used to carry …show more content…
Reasoning: Though the information was collected unlawfully, the body of Pamela Powers would have inevitably been discovered by the search team assigned by the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Thus, allowing the condition of the body, photographs of the crime scene, and the autopsy report to be admitted as evidence and classified as inevitable discovery. The question of whether the detectives had not acted in good faith, to obtain incriminating statements and the location of Powers’ body, could not be proven, thus, reversing the appellate court decision.
Decision: In 1980, Williams, seeking a writ of habeas corpus in United States District court was denied but eventually reversed by The Court of Appeals, in that the state failed to prove that the detectives acted in good faith. The United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded the decision, expressing that the condition of the body and the location will be admitted as preponderance of evidence under the exclusionary
Parties: Nix, Warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary/Petitioner Williams/Respondent
Facts: On 24 December 1968, in Des Moines, Iowa, a ten year-old little girl by the name of Pamela Powers, went missing while she was accompanying her parents to watch an athletic event at the local YMCA. An individual, later identified as Williams, was witnessed by an unknown 14 year-old boy carrying a bundle of blankets to his car, which had two white and skinny legs protruding out of it. In Grinnell, Iowa, at a rest stop on Interstate 80, clothing items of Pamela Powers were identified, along with some of Williams’ clothing, and the blanket that was used to carry …show more content…
Reasoning: Though the information was collected unlawfully, the body of Pamela Powers would have inevitably been discovered by the search team assigned by the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Thus, allowing the condition of the body, photographs of the crime scene, and the autopsy report to be admitted as evidence and classified as inevitable discovery. The question of whether the detectives had not acted in good faith, to obtain incriminating statements and the location of Powers’ body, could not be proven, thus, reversing the appellate court decision.
Decision: In 1980, Williams, seeking a writ of habeas corpus in United States District court was denied but eventually reversed by The Court of Appeals, in that the state failed to prove that the detectives acted in good faith. The United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded the decision, expressing that the condition of the body and the location will be admitted as preponderance of evidence under the exclusionary